We're Fighting to Stay Alive
by HepburnHigh
Summary: SEQUEL TO "DO ANYTHING, GIVE ANYTHING" Neville and Aubrielle's seventh year at Hogwarts. See the last year and the battle through Neville's eyes and see who takes their last breath; different from the book. M for smut in certain chapters. RxR!
1. Welcome to Seventh Year

**Hello hello! This is the sequel to my story "Do Anything, Give Anything." If you have not read it yet, I highly suggest that you do so this one makes sense. Also, there is a one shot that goes along with that story called "Give Everything: Aubrielle and Neville." Anyway, here is the next part of my story. It takes place during the couple's 7****th**** year at Hogwarts. Also, I realize what happens in the last book, how Luna is kidnapped, how Ginny leaves during Easter Break, how Dumbledore's Army writes propaganda on the walls of the school…but this is my story so things are going to be a little difference in a sense. I hope you read it nonetheless! Enjoy!**

o.O.o

Neville smiled as his girlfriend of a little over nine months faded in and out of sleep. She was curled up at his side and he had his arm protectively around her, rubbing gentle circles on her thigh. Her dark waves fell effortlessly on her sides and they cascaded onto Neville's legs as well. Her eyes started to flutter under her lids and Neville could tell that the witch was finally asleep.

"That means she's dreaming."

The light and airy voice of Luna Lovegood floated to him from the seat across the train compartment. She was sitting in between Ginny Weasley and Seamus Finnegan, and neither of them looked like they were ready for another year at school, especially now that Snape was headmaster. Nielah Song, Aubrielle's younger sister, reached across Neville and lightly finger combed through her older sister's long hair.

"Hopefully it's a good dream."

Neville looked down at Aubrielle and thought the same thing. No one had been having good dreams lately with the war looming above everyone's heads. The idea of going back to Hogwarts was a sketchy one nowadays too because of the Dark Magic that was now in the walls. The man who murdered their beloved headmaster was now in charge, and, to top it all off, the bloody Carrow siblings were in charge of punishment and teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Snape also made it very clear in his letter that he sent out to all the students that things were going be different this year. Meanwhile, the Golden Trio was out trying to defeat Voldemort with their own plan, and with them gone, there was a sense of lost hope in the air.

Aubrielle was known for having anxiety and she didn't take it lightly when a couple of deatheaters came waltzing through the train, hoping to find the Chosen One. What made her even more nervous and on edge was when Neville decided to stand up and talk back to them, calling them losers and saying that Harry wasn't on board. She had quickly tugged on his flannel and begged him to sit down.

"_Don't give them a reason to hate you!"_

"_They're not interesting in me Aubs."_

Still, she was not comforted by his words. She kept darting her eyes to the window, making sure that everything was all right, and her paranoia was beginning to get on everyone's nerves. It was a small miracle that she had been able to fall asleep but they weren't complaining. Ginny looked up at her best friend and observed how he comforted his girlfriend. _'At least they're together,_' she thought as her mind wandered back to Harry. She missed him so much it hurt and she hated that she wasn't with him, trying to help him in any way possible. He had insisted that she go back to the school, however, and help the students there. He even tried to break up with her for her own safety! She quickly told him off though and made the reasonable argument that Voldemort was going to try and kill her whether she was in a relationship with him or not. She thought about his words everyday and as the train grew closer to Hogwarts, an idea happened to creep its way into her mind. How could she possibly help him inside the school? She was only one person. But then it was there, clear as day.

"Neville, I have an idea, and it's one that will help Harry if he ever needs to come back to the school."

All too soon, the Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt and Aubrielle was rudely awakened from her dream. She sat up suddenly and Neville responded by wrapping his arms tightly around her, reminding the Ravenclaw that her boyfriend was still there and she was safe. He looked over at the red headed witch and gave her an apologetic glance. Her idea would have to wait.

The group gathered their bags and silently walked off the train, scared of what would greet them. They walked off the steps and were tugged and pulled by the Carrows in different directions.

"Gryffindors over here! Slytherins behind them! Move it!"

Neville reluctantly let go of Aubrielle's hand as they were pushed in different directions. He went to go look at her but one of the Carrows, he couldn't tell which one, was rapping his hand with a long stick.

"You'll be able to oogle at your bloody girlfriend later. Get it line!"

He stared at the man, trying not to seem frightened. He slowly made his way over towards Ginny, Dean, and Seamus and stood tall next to his friends. They were at the head of their house and they knew that students would be looking to them for answers. Behind them were some of the other upperclassmen, including Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. They cringed as the commands continued to stream out of the Carrows's mouths.

"GET IN FORMATION. Gryffindors…walk back to the castle. Stay together!"

Ginny and Neville looked at each other before setting out towards the school. Two or three death eaters walked along the perimeter the students, forcing them to stay quiet. Ginny was the only one who dared whisper.

"We need to talk as soon as we can. You, me, and Luna."

Neville nodded his head, letting her know that he heard her. He looked up as the castle slowly came into view. It was completely dark and there was an eerie atmosphere that surrounded the grounds.

Welcome to seventh year.

o.O.o

Ginny furiously threw herself onto the red couch in the Gryffindor Common Room, still heated from the welcoming feast. She wasn't the only one, though, as Dean came in and threw his bag forcefully on the floor.

"This is ridiculous! This isn't Hogwarts anymore, it's bloody Azkaban!"

The dark skinned, seventh year boy slumped into an armchair and put his head in his hands. Neville was close behind with Seamus. The Common Room started to fill up with students but it was late and classes started bright and early tomorrow morning so most of them went straight to the dorms. A few older ones lingered to talk about what their new Headmaster had just told them. Ginny pounded the cushions on the couch before sitting up. She glared over at her friends, her mind already plotting how to rebel against the ridiculous new rules that were in place as of today.

"We need to do something."

"How? They're going to have us on super lockdown every minute of everyday. There's nothing we _can_ do."

Lavender Brown sat on the floor next to Parvati Patil and hung her shoulders in defeat. No matter how much people wanted to say it, they all felt the same way. The school year hadn't even started yet and they already felt defeated. Seamus, who was sitting with his back against the couch, piped up.

"Even if we could do something, we don't have numbers. Snape isn't allowing us to see any students from the other houses unless they are in our classes. We're screwed."

A sharp pain hit Neville in the chest with enough force to knock him out. The second he had heard Snape say the new rule he had looked over at his girlfriend sitting at the Ravenclaw table. If he couldn't see her all year, he was going to explode. And since their schedules were not going to be given out until the following morning, he had no idea if she would be in any of his classes or not. Still, Ginny seemed determined despite the odds.

"Then we'll use our classes to our advantages. Listen, I have an idea and I want to put it into motion as soon as possible."

The group grew quiet as Ginny lowered her voice. She looked around the room, making sure that all the older Gryffindors weren't within earshot so they couldn't hear her. The important ones were all there in front of her: Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati. She leaned in to emphasize how important this was.

"I want to get Dumbledore's Army going again." 

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

The Patil twin stood up so she was taller than Ginny. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and her posture showed her worry. Ginny stared at the seventh year until she controlled herself and sat down. Once she regained her temper, she spoke slowly but with great force.

"You remember what happened last time Ginny. And on top of that, half the members aren't even here anymore. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are off doing whatever they're doing, the Twins are gone, Cho graduated-"

"So we'll recruit! Get some younger students who are now of age! Plus, my brothers are part of the Order so they'll still fight beside us and maybe Cho can sneak back into the castle to help teach. Listen, we need to make sure everyone is capable of fighting. This is our only way to help our side from inside the castle."

The group sat there, dead silent, as they took in the witch's words. Well she did have a point. Sooner or later Voldemort would be knocking on the doors of the castle and they needed to be prepared for it. It would be hard trying to organize it though with the school so closely watched by the Carrows. One by one the Gryffindors turned their heads to look at Neville. Without Harry or Ron there, he had become their new leader, in a sense, and they wanted his opinion on the matter. He looked at his friends, feeling the pressure of being in charge. He didn't want anyone to get in trouble if they were associated with the Army, but, at the same time, he knew that it needed to be started up again. He sat up straighter.

"I say we do it, BUT…we need to make sure that everyone who joins is aware of the circumstances. They need to know the risk of being in the Army."

Everyone shook his or her heads, understanding the severity of the situation. Ginny smiled at her friend, eager to rebel against the gits in charge of the school.

"First things first, we need to recruit…heavily."

"How are we suppose to do that with the Carrows breathing down everyone's necks?" Dean raised his eyebrows at his ex-girlfriend.

"We need to establish ourselves first. We need to have everything worked out to help convince people to join."

Neville looked around at the group, "I have a free period tomorrow. I'll go see if the Room of Requirement is still there. If it is, we can make that our headquarters again and this year we'll put protective enchantments on it so Snape or the Carrows doesn't discover it."

Ginny stood up and started pacing in front of the fireplace, her mind turning at a hundred miles an hour. Ideas were flowing to her and she quickly shot each of them out.

"We should make a password ward for the room too so only Army members can get in. Does anyone know how to create a ward from scratch?"

"Aubrielle does. She had to make one last year when Draco threatened to kidnap the Ravenclaws."

Ginny smiled to herself, "Right. Awesome. Aubrielle will want to join, won't she?"

"Of course. Nielah will probably want to as well."

The witch was walking quicker and with a purpose, "The first people we need to get in touch with are the old members: Michael Corner, Luna, Padma, and the others. We need them all."

Parvati nodded her head, "I'll talk to my sister and have her talk to the rest of the Ravenclaws."

"Perfect Parvati!" The witch ran and grabbed a piece of parchment from her bag. She unrolled it on the table before grabbing a feather and ink. She started to scribble down names of students who were already in the Army before drawing a line and writing down names that could be potential new recruits. Neville smiled proudly as he saw her write down both of the Song girls' names. She continued with the Creevey brothers before stopping and looking up at everyone.

"Who else?"

Seamus looked over the list before putting in his input, "Write down Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. They are both great witches."

"Of course!" She quickly wrote down the two Hufflepuffs' names, "And?"

"What about Cormac and Katie? Think they would join?"

"Might as well try with them. Okay…Cormac McLaggen and Katie Bell. I'm putting Romilda Vane on there as well."

Now everyone was calling out names and Ginny wrote them all down, not caring who suggested whom.

"Oh! Put Ernie Macmillan on there too!"

"And Marcus Belby."

"Don't forget Penelope Clearwater!"

As the names kept coming, the list got longer, much to Ginny's excitement. By the end of the yelling, the list was long and looked to be promising. She quickly put the cap back on the inkbottle before rolling up the parchment. It was late now and she could tell that everyone was spent. Using her inner mother, she told them to go to bed and get some sleep since tomorrow would start their long and dreadful school year. Everyone obeyed, too tired to argue, and headed to their respected rooms. Ginny was surprised, however, to see that Neville was still sitting on the floor, staring into the fire. She went and sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder.

"What are ya thinking about Longbottom?"

Neville let out a light chuckle as his friend teased him. She knew what he was thinking about though, and she didn't need to ask. He took a deep breath but didn't say anything. Instead, Ginny continued to talk.

"She'll be okay Neville. Aubrielle is a strong girl and besides, she has Luna and Nielah to keep her company over there in the Ravenclaw Tower."

"Oh I'll know she'll be okay Gin; I'm not worried about that. I'm just worried about these new rules."

"We all are."

"No, no, what I'm saying is, I'm worried about what they will do to our relationship. What if she isn't in any of my classes? I'll never be able to see her or talk to her unless she joins the Army! And even then, we'll never get alone time. I don't want these bloody restrictions to break us up!"

An unwanted tear fell down the wizard's cheek as the thought of losing her filled his head. Aubrielle was one of the reasons why he woke up every morning. She always knew how to make him smile and she made him so happy. If he lost her…

His shoulders began to shake as the tears started to flow and Ginny wrapped her arms around her best friend, letting him fall into her embrace. She slowly patted his back as he calmed himself down to a soft cry. He stayed in her arms, though, not wanting to move. When she spoke, it reminded him of why they were such good friends in the first place.

"Neville, you have been my best friend for as long as I can remember. And I know from experience that when you dedicate yourself to something, you can accomplish anything. I know you care for Aubrielle…a lot. And I know that she really cares about you. In the end, if you want to have things work out with her, they will because you won't let anything else happen. You need to trust that Neville."

He lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes sparkled as the flames continued to dance in the fireplace. He could see why Harry loved Ginny so much. She was smart and kind and had such determination. On top of it all, she was absolutely stunning with her green eyes and fiery hair. He opened his arms up to hug his friend and the two sat there for a while, cherishing the moment. They wouldn't have many moments like these with the up coming school year being so serious. He finally let go of the witch and she stood up to go up to the girls' dorm. He followed suit but the witch turned around to face him again.

"Good night Neville."

"Good night Gin."

She was up the stairs a second later and Neville made his way in the opposite direction. He quickly changed into his pajama bottoms and snuggled into his bed. One thing was for sure, Ginny was going to be one of the reasons he would stay sane throughout all this. And for that, he loved her. He would do anything for the youngest Weasley and he knew she would do the same thing for him. He loved her all right, but not romantically. He loved her in a sisterly sense. There was only one witch at Hogwarts that he loved, and that was Aubrielle Song.

**Boom! First chapter is done! So, like I said earlier, there will be things that happen in this fic that don't happen in the book and vise versa. I hope you still read it though! Also, if you leave a review for this chapter, I will message you a snippet of the next chapter! Thank you for reading!**

**HepburnHigh**


	2. Room of Requirement

**New chapter! Woop woop! RxR.**

(Monday, September 1st)

Aubrielle woke up the same way she fell asleep, with tears trailing down her cheeks. She was absolutely devastated from the new rules that were set into place because it meant that her chances of seeing Neville were all up to her classes. She had to have him in at least one too, or else their relationship was going to be put in danger.

The witch threw back the navy duvet and swung her legs around. She sat there for a moment, thinking of the day she had ahead of her. She was scared to see her schedule, but anxious at the same time. She padded over to the bathroom and examined herself in one of the mirrors. Just as she thought; her eyes were bloodshot from crying and there were already dark circles forming under her eyes from the restless nights she had been having for the past two weeks or so. She let the water run, making sure it was hot before splashing it onto her face. She dried her face and applied a coat of mascara, the only make-up she wore, before heading back into the bedroom to open her wardrobe. It was easy picking out an outfit now, since Snape had made it very clear that students had only one choice. Another new rule she hated; all students, year level aside, now had to wear their full Hogwarts uniform everyday, including the weekends.

She buttoned up her crisp white shirt before slipping her tie over her head and tightening it. She tucked her shirt into her wool skirt, pulled on her knee high socks, and buckled her Mary Jane's. She pulled her robe off the hanger and felt a soft pain in her heart as they missing garment revealed her Quidditch sweater. And that, was the rule she hated most of all. No Quidditch.

She brushed her sadness away and put on her robe, completing her outfit. She quickly combed through her hair before heading down to the Common Room. Just as she suspected, Nielah was sitting in an armchair, waiting for her sister. Aubrielle smiled at the fifth year and took her hand before heading out of the portrait and down towards the Great Hall.

"Are you nervous about classes Aubs?"

"Very."

"Worried you won't be in a class with Neville?"

The older witch gave her sister's hand a tight squeeze, "Very."

The Song Sisters walked into the Great Hall to see that everyone, for the most part, was dead silent. They quickly walked to the Ravenclaw table, being intimidated by the lack of usual morning conversation, and sat down next to Luna. Aubrielle leaned over to her fellow Ravenclaw, "What's going on?"

"The owls aren't arriving with the class schedules for another five minutes and everyone is on edge. I think it's silly though. We'll know eventually."

The blonde casually took a sip of her pumpkin juice, displaying how trivial the set back seemed to her. Aubrielle looked at her younger sister, who simply shrugged and starting filling her plate with food. They nibbled away at some eggs and toast and before they knew it, the familiar screeching of owls filled the Hall. Aubrielle looked up to see the Song snowy owl, Hera, who swooped down to the table with a piece of parchment rolled up on each leg. The sisters carefully untied the scrolls before patting their owl on her head and watching her fly back towards the owlry.

Aubrielle quickly unrolled the paper and scanned her classes.

Monday:

University Level Potions: 10:00-11:30 A.M.

Seventh Year Herbology: 13:00- 15:00 P.M.

Tuesday:

Seventh Year Defense Against the Dark Arts: 9:30- 11:00 A.M.

Seventh Year Charms: NOON- 14:00 P.M.

Hogwarts High Choir: 15:00- 16:30 P.M.

Wednesday:

University Level Potions: 10:00-11:30 A.M.

Seventh Year Herbology: 13:00- 15:00 P.M.

Seventh Year Divination: 15:30- 16:30 P.M.

Thursday:

Seventh Year Defense Against the Dark Arts: 9:30- 11:00 A.M.

Seventh Year Charms: NOON- 14:00 P.M.

Hogwarts High Choir: 15:00- 16:30 P.M.

Friday:

No classes for sixth and seventh year students

Aubrielle smiled as she saw that she didn't have classes on Friday. At least some things were staying the same at the school. She scanned over her classes, quickly memorizing how long she had in between classes and the route she would take to get to each one. She looked over at Neville, who was sitting in between Ginny and Dean, to see if there was any sign on his face as to whether he had a good schedule or not. She knew they wouldn't be in the same Herbology class, since he was appointed as Professor Sprout's teaching assistant, they wouldn't be in the same Potions class since Aubrielle was a year ahead of him, and he wouldn't be in her choir class because…well, he didn't sing. She looked back down at the parchment in front of her; Divination and Dark Arts were her only hope in seeing her boyfriend.

The wizard at the Gryffindor table brought his head up to see his girlfriend looking at him. He nervously looked into her eyes before leaning over to the person across from him and handing the boy his parchment. The boy shrugged his shoulders and passed the note behind him, reaching for a girl sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Aubrielle realized what was happening as the note made its way across the tables. Finally it reached her and her hands shook as she grabbed it from Michael Corner. She unrolled the paper, her hands now shaking with fear. This was it. If she didn't have Neville in any of her classes she would most likely break down, right there, in the middle of the Great Hall. She carefully unrolled the scroll while her boyfriend nervously stared at her from across the room. He was looking for any kind of sign from her. As she looked over his classes and carefully read the dates and times, he got what he wanted. His girlfriend's hazel eyes lit up as she smiled at the words. She quickly took out a feather and circled something on the paper before passing it back to Michael, who continued to pass it from person to person until it finally got back to Neville. He unrolled the paper to find that one of his classes was circled, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He smiled at the circle and looked up to meet Aubrielle's smile with his. He had a class with her, hallelujah! '_We're gonna make this work.'_

(Friday, September 12th)

Classes sucked, and that was an understatement. The Carrows were pretty much the spawn of Satan and if anyone put one toe out of line they were severely punished. One thing was nice though; they never saw Snape. He was always locked up in his office or away from the school, doing business with the Dark Lord, no doubt. Keeping things strong with Aubrielle was tough too because quite frankly, one class that met twice a week wasn't enough.

None of the Gryffindors talked about Dumbledore's Army either because they were swamped in schoolwork. Snape had completely changed the courses and their homework assignments were ten times longer and ten times harder. There was no time for talking or socializing and it made the entire school seem like a morgue. Everyone walked from class to class with pained expressions on their faces and with bricks in their shoes. Hogwarts use to be such a happy place where you could explore and learn with your friends. Now, it was about as happy as a graveyard.

Neville had worked hard on his schoolwork during the past week so he could have some free time today to check out the Room of Requirement. He walked through the maze of halls until he reached the familiar stonewall. He stood in front of the blank surface and closed his eyes, knowing that there was more behind that very few knew about. He took a deep breath and relaxed himself, letting his wants and needs flow out him so the Room would know exactly what he wanted. He needed a safe haven, a place where they could learn to protect themselves, a place where they could go to get away from the Carrows and the Hell that they were living in.

He opened his eyes when he heard the memorable cracking as the stone gave way and large double doors appeared. He smiled at the bronze carvings, loving that the castle knew who to trust and who not to trust. He walked forward and pushed one of the doors open. His jaw dropped as he saw what the room had turned into. The room was vast with fully dressed cots along the west and east walls. There were also hammocks hanging in various spots around the room with pillows and blankets inside of them. Along the north wall, where there use to be a fireplace, was a large portrait of a young woman. Neville stepped into the room and closed the door. He walked towards the painting and stared at the beautiful girl. Who was she and why had the room put the painting there? It obviously was put there for a reason but he had no clue why. He shrugged it off before looking around the room again. There was a desk in the far corner with fresh ink and feathers in the drawers and multiple scrolls of blank parchment. There was also a small radio sitting on the corner of the desk next to a phonogram. In another corner stood a mechanical deatheater like the one they had used back in fifth year when they first formed the Army. Neville surveyed the room, extremely pleased; it was absolutely perfect. On top of all that, there were beds so people could stay in the room over night, which meant that he could stay here with Aubrielle. His heart started racing at the thought of holding his girlfriend in his arms again.

He quickly pulled out his wand and started casting protective enchantments over the room. He used every one he knew to make the room as secretive as possible. All he needed now was to bring Aubrielle down to the room so she could make a password-protected ward for it. He looked back at the room, satisfied with his work, before walking out and letting the doors disappear behind him.

He hurried back to the Gryffindor Common Room, excited to tell Ginny the good news, so they could start recruiting new students. He walked up to the Fat Lady and said, "Dirigible Plums," before rushing into the gold and red embellished room. A fire was roaring and the heat from it encased everyone, making them feel like they were back at the old Hogwarts again. He spotted the red head sitting on the floor with Seamus and plopped down next to them. They looked up from their potions homework, happy to have an interruption.

"I went to the Room of Requirement today."

"Oh! Right!" Ginny started putting away her homework, "And?"

"And it's perfect! It's got cots in it with the sheets on them and everything. There are also hammocks tied to the ceiling and a desk full of school supplies for kids who need to do work. There is even a new mechanical deatheater."

Neville started talking faster and faster as his excitement came to him. Ginny and Seamus smiled at him, loving that he was so happy about something. He took a breath before continuing.

"I put protective enchantments on it and all that needs to be added is a ward, which Aubrielle will do. The fact that there are so many beds and hammocks make me think that we should sleep there too. You know, guard the room."

"Sleep in the Room of Requirement?"

"Why not?"

"Well I don't know, it just seems…_weird _to me."

"We'll be fine! We'll have the enchantments and the ward-"

"The little ones shouldn't stay there."

Ginny sat up straighter, her voice becoming more stern. The older ones could stay there, that was fine with her, but the little ones needed to be in the towers were they were out of harms way. She wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 16 to spend the night in the Room and that was final. She looked at both boys, showing that she was right about this. Neville rolled his eyes at her, "Fine."

Seamus started putting his homework away as well, "So when are you going to get Aubrielle to make the ward? That's the first thing that needs to be done."

"I was hoping tomorrow. We're meeting up tomorrow in the back of the library to just get away from everyone for a little bit. I figured I would show her the room and she could make the ward than."

Ginny smiled at her friend. It was good that he was willing to break the rules for Aubrielle. She knew that Neville would never let her slip away without a fight. Just then, Parvati and Lavender walked into the Common Room and Ginny waved them over. The two seventh year girls sat down on the rug next to their friends and Seamus awkwardly smiled at Lavender, never taking his eyes off of her. The witch shrugged her robe off.

"What's up?"

"Neville found the Room of Requirement again and it looks like we can start recruiting. Parvati, can you get your sister to talk to the Ravenclaws this weekend?"

"Of course."

"And Lavender, can you approach Katie and Romilda?"

"Easy enough. Who are you going to deal with Ginny?"

"Well Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott are both in my Charms class since I'm a year ahead in that class. I'll talk to them than since Flitwick is the teacher and the Carrows are no where near that classroom."

"Sounds good to me."

The two girls got up and Seamus watched them as they went into their bedroom. They shared it with Katie and Romilda so the task of talking to them would be easy enough. The hard part would be convincing them to join, especially Romilda, who wasn't really one to get her hands dirty. Ginny turned back towards Seamus, "Can you talk to Cormac?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Thanks. Okay, there isn't much more that we can do today and I need to get started on my pile of Charms homework so I'll talk to you two later."

The youngest Weasley gathered her things and went up the stairs to her room, leaving the wizards behind. Neville gave his friend a playful punch on his shoulder and winked at him.

"Lavender, huh?"

Seamus turned a deep shade of red as his friend teased him, "Oh hop off it Longbottom."

The two wizards cracked up before Neville looked at the Gryffindor seriously.

"If you like her, go for her mate. There is a bloody war looming above us and no one knows how many days we have left. Tell her while you can. You'll regret it if you don't."

Neville stood up and went up the stairs to his room, leaving Seamus to think about what he just said. Truth be told, he needed to think about what he just said too because even though he told Aubrielle every moment he could that he loved her, he wanted to do more than that. He wanted her to know, with everything in her being, that he truly loved her. Their one-year anniversary was coming up on November 25th and he was determined to make it special for her. He wanted it to truly be a night to remember and now that he had the Room of Requirement at his disposal, he could make it happen. He smiled at himself as he stepped out of his shoes and threw his Herbology folder on his bed. The only subject that he actually liked working on was Herbology but it was a bit boring being a teacher's assistant. Most of the time he just sat at a desk and graded first year and second year students' papers. As he started looking over his week's marks, his mind wandered to his girlfriend, like it did so often. He would see her tomorrow. He would be able to talk to her tomorrow. He would get to hold her in his arms tomorrow. He would get to run his fingers through her long, dark waves and kiss her tomorrow. Tomorrow.

(Sunday September 13th)

He was sitting on a windowsill in the very back of the library, waiting for her. He undid the clasp on his robe, hating that he had to wear his full uniform on the weekends, and threw it aside. Suddenly his dream witch turned the corner and was standing in front of him, causing him to leap up and wrap her in his arms. She bound her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder, taking in the moment. They clung to each other tightly before Aubrielle pulled her face out of his sweater to kiss him. She locked lips with him so hard that he stumbled backwards and hit the bookcase. She was hungry for his touch because it had been way too long for her liking. He pulled away and smiled at her; he always loved her aggressive side.

"Easy there killer."

"S-sorry," the Ravenclaw said between breaths, "I haven't kissed you since the train ride here. Do you know what that's done to me?"

He laughed at her and dipped his head down to give her another longing embrace.

"It's been torturing me too Aubs."

He pushed her away a little, taking his arms out from around her, and sat down on a chair before pulling her down onto his lap. She looked at him longingly and gently ran her fingers through his hair. Unexpectedly, her eyes started to swell up the longer she looked at him.

"I-I've missed you s-so much! D-defense Against the D-Dark Arts is not e-enough!"

She hid her face in his chest and he gripped her protectively, wishing he could make her feel better. Whenever his girlfriend was hurting, he wanted to just whisk away the pain as quickly as it came. He covered the top of her head in soft pecks and scratched her back until she calmed down. She hugged him harder but still kept her head on his chest because the sound of his heartbeat always calmed her down.

"I love you Neville. I know I say it all the time but…I love you."

The Gryffindor let out a loud chuckle, "I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday! I know I say it to you all the time but I really mean it Aubs. I do."

She laughed before bringing her hand up to cup his face, giving him a soft kiss. She pulled away and had a dazed look in her eyes. She lowered her voice.

"What is the important task that you need me to do? Your letter sounded urgent."

Neville sat up straighter and adjusted his girlfriend so she was looking right at him. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"I need you to create a password activated ward."

Aubrielle's hazel eyes widened, "What for?"

"For a room, more specifically, the Room of Requirement."

She got off his lap, "Neville…why do you need the Room of Requirement to be password protected? What are you up to?"

"I'll explain it to you on the way there. Please Aubs, it would help me out so much. Not only that, but it could help us win this war."

The witch grabbed on to the table to steady herself as the pressure of the task wore down on her. It could help win the war? What was this all about? She wanted answers.

"Okay. But you better do a lot of explaining."

"I will babe, I promise."

The two walked out of the library and peered down the hallway, making sure the Carrows weren't there. When they saw that it was empty, they rushed out, Neville taking the lead.

"Okay. Back in fifth year, Harry, Hermione, and Ron started this secret society called Dumbledore's Army. They trained us and taught us how to properly defend ourselves against deatheaters and dementours. Gin and I want to start it up again to help teach the younger ones. Try to understand Aubrielle. We need to get students as skilled as possible before this war hits."

"And why did the Army stop before?"

"We got caught by Umbridge. You remember her? Yeah, she found us. That's why we need a ward this time."

He suddenly stopped, reaching their destination. He closed his eyes and the doors appeared. Before Aubrielle could even understand what was happening, her boyfriend was pulling her into the room. She looked behind her to see the doors disappear before her eyes. As she scanned the room, her jaw dropped in amazement, just like Neville's had yesterday. It was a lot larger than she thought and it looked like it was prepared to house a small army. Which, in a way, was exactly what Neville had in mind. He looked at her and snaked his hand into hers, "Think you can do it?"

"Definitely. What do you want the password to be?"

"Uhm, Merlin…" The wizard scratched his head as he thought. It needed to be something notable that everyone in the Army would remember. It needed to be clever and something that meant something to them… 

"We're fighting to stay alive."

The witch nodded her head, took her wand out of her pocket, and walked along the perimeter of the room. She walked back to the middle before reciting some spell that Neville had never heard.

"Clipeum me ab inimicis meis… fac me securum…quod si velim reverti…tantum in me haec… We're fighting to stay alive."

Long streams of light shot out of her wand and the room started to glow from the spell. Soon the whole room was engulfed in the enchantment. She flicked her wand a few times and muttered a few more words until the light stopped streaming from her wand. She walked over to her boyfriend, "There you go. The Room will only open to the password now."

"How long will the ward last?"

"Until I reverse the spell. Password encoded wards can only be destroyed by the witch or wizard that created it."

Neville pulled the seventh year into his arms, "You're bloody brilliant."

Aubrielle responded by flashing him a playful smile and she gave him a quick, passionate kiss.

"I know."

**Review and you can get a snippet of the next chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**Translation to the ward enchantment…**

_**Shield me from my enemies**_

_**Make my being secure**_

_**And if I should want to return**_

_**Only let me at these words**_

…_**We're fighting to stay alive.**_


	3. Steps Towards the Revolution

**New chapter! Just as a head's up…there IS smut in this chapter! If you are not comfortable reading it…don't read the middle section of this. RxR!**

(Friday, September 19th)

The next big piece of the puzzle needed to get the Army going again was Luna. She was, in all honestly, a marvelous witch and Ginny and Neville both felt that it was necessary to have her as a fellow instructor. While Ginny's Patronus was strong, Luna's was impeccable and that was one of the spells that Neville wanted to emphasize since the dementours were now under Voldemort's full control. Word got to her through the Patil twins that the Army was starting up again and that Neville wanted to see her in the back of the library on the nineteenth. The blonde skipped down the aisles, excited for the meeting to come. She honestly thought that starting the Army again was the best idea Neville had ever had. As she made her way into the cove that he had saved, he stood up to hug her before the two sat at the desk together.

"Good to see you Luna."

"You too Neville. So, are you really starting up the Army again?"

Neville flashed a mischievous grin, "You betcha. And, if you are up to it, I want you to be one of the instructors. More specifically, I want you to teach the younger ones how to produce a Patronus. I know it will be difficult and frustrating for them, but yours is flawless and I just thought that-"

"Of course I'll do it Neville!" The Ravenclaw giggled, "This school year had been terribly boring and dreadful. This is exactly what we need!"

"Awesome. Oh, and one more thing, for anyone who wants to join the Army, there will be an induction ceremony on Sunday, the 28th. Spread the word to the Ravenclaws that we are accepting any and all ages."

"I'll do my best Neville. Although, I do already know about two Ravenclaws that are for sure joining."

"Yeah? That's great! Who?"

"Well Nielah and Aubrielle of course!" 

Neville smiled at his friend, "Well Merlin Luna, I already knew that of course."

Luna sat back in her chair and crossed her skinny arms over her chest, "I'm just saying…"

There was a slight pause where neither one knew what to say. Neville tapped his thumb on the desk, which eventually turned into some sort of beat. Luna stared at him for a little bit, trying to think of what to say. She leaned back in towards the table and talked in a voice that was barely audible.

"Can I see it?"

"See what?"

"The Room."

Another wicked smile occupied the wizard's face, "Of course. Lets go."

The two seventh years cautiously walked out of the library before sneaking around the halls towards the Room of Requirement. They finally reached the stone façade but Luna was surprised when the doors didn't appear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath but again…there was nothing. She nervously tugged on Neville's robe.

"Uh…Neville…" 

"We're fighting to stay alive."

At his words the stones gave way and the familiar doors materialized in front of the two students. Luna dropped her jaw as Neville pushed one of the doors foreword. He stepped into the Room before explaining himself.

"Password protected ward. Aubrielle created it last week."

"W…wow. Brilliant."

Luna's eyes widened as she surveyed the layout of the Room. It was absolutely perfect! She slowly walked around and ran her fingers over the sheets that were tucked into the cots. She ran her hands over the hammocks and looked through all the drawers of the large desk in the corner. She inspected everything, even the mechanical death eater. She went back to the center of the room where Neville was standing, completely and utterly satisfied. Sure, last time the Army was amazing, but with all these resources they had now, it was going to be a small revolution! She rubbed her hands together as she thought about the following school year. Seventh year just got a Hell of a lot better.

"By the way, some of us are going to start sleeping in here starting on the twenty seventh. You wanna join?"

"Most definitely."

(Thursday, September 25th)

Despite the usual lifeless atmosphere that the castle emitted, Neville couldn't help but smile at every student he passed in the halls. He had a spring in his step today and only a few knew exactly why. Today was the 25th of the month, which meant another anniversary. Today marked him and Aubrielle's ten month and he couldn't help but get butterflies at the thought. After all, he had had feelings for the Ravenclaw since first year and he cherished every moment with her. He considered himself extremely lucky to be with her and he never forgot that. They weren't really doing anything super special to mark the occasion, but it was still a wonderful day for him. Best part was, today was Thursday so they had Defense Against the Dark Arts together first thing in the morning. He entered the room, thankful that the Carrow wasn't there, and quickly came up behind his girlfriend to wrap his arms around her waist. She quickly turned around to capture his lips with hers, appreciative that the professor was nowhere in sight. She pulled away, scared of being caught and punished. The rest of the students, who knew about Neville and Aubrielle's relationship, were always watching out for them, which Neville was enormously grateful for. The couple was able to exchange some quick words.

"Happy ten month Neville. I love you."

"I love you too Aubrielle. Happy ten month."

They kissed again before Aubrielle pulled away and brought her voice to a whisper, "Meet me in the Room tonight after dinner. I have something new planned for you and I think you'll like it."

"Okay. What is-"

But before he could say another word, Parvati Patil was pulling him back as one of the students warned everyone that the professor was coming. He came into the room, emotionless and intimidating, before slamming his briefcase down on the desk at the front of the room. It was one of the Carrows, and even though Neville knew which one it was, he felt that he didn't deserve to have his personal name acknowledged. He was too heartless of a person to have that kind of respect.

"Open your books to page 81. Read the chapter. Answer the questions. Must be in perfect cursive penmanship. Due at the end of class or else you will be seeing me in detention tonight. Go."

Neville and Aubrielle both flipped their books open quickly and started speed-reading the chapter. They had no room for error and no room for detention. They had an anniversary to celebrate and Aubrielle couldn't wait to show Neville her new trick.

o.O.o

It was no mystery to anyone that Aubrielle and Neville were sexually active but Aubrielle still got worked up just thinking about it. He just made her feel so…beautiful. When they were making love, it was as if the world had stopped on its axis and made it revolve around just the two of them. They had been having sex for exactly five months now, having lost their virginities to each other on the beaches of Spain the night of their anniversary, but Aubrielle still had ventured away from oral sex. It seemed…well, dirty to her and she honestly couldn't see how it was so pleasurable. But after a long conversation with Lavender Brown about it, who was well trained in the act, she thought she would give it a go on Neville. Evidentially it is mind blowing for the guy and she wanted to make him feel special tonight. Usually when they did anything intimate it was all about her but she wanted it the other way around tonight. She was inside the Room already, sitting on the edge of one of the cots. She had on barely any clothing under her robe and her outfit consisted of a lacey bra and matching boy shorts. Suddenly she heard the doors appear and Neville was soon standing in front of her. She ran at him and jumped into his arms, forgetting about her worries. They didn't even speak to each other and instead kissed passionately while simultaneously moving towards the cot. Aubrielle untangled herself from Neville and pushed him onto the bed. The wizard's eyes widened as the witch slowly unclasped her robe, revealing her skimpy outfit underneath. He could feel his member harden as she crawled on the bed towards him.

"Sweet Merlin."

She locked lips with him again as she worked on the buttons of his shirt. She was getting impatient and she wanted his clothing off now. He ran his strong hands down her body and shifted his weight. Aubrielle felt his erection under her, which was her signal to move further south. She flung his shirt open and it was discarded within seconds. She strayed from his lips and started kissing her way down his body. She reached his pants and deftly undid his belt buckle and trouser zipper and slid the garment down his legs. His boxers soon followed and Aubrielle felt her heart leap in her chest as she stared at his impressive package. _'Do it! Just do it and get it over with. Who knows, maybe you'll like it. Do it!' _

She wrapped her fingers around his base and started to pump, which was what she normally did. What came next surprised the Hell out of Neville, not that he was complaining. Aubrielle lowered her face towards him and ran her tongue from the base of his member all the way to the tip before putting the head of his shaft into her mouth. He let out a loud moan as she began to suck him and he flung his hands to her hair. He looked down to see her head bobbing up and down and started panting as his body began to build towards his climax. Aubrielle pumped faster and was shocked at how natural the act felt to her. In fact, she felt quite sexy doing it.

Neville's senses were heightening at a rapid pace and his body was craving for his girlfriend. Without warning, Neville sat up and grabbed her before slamming her onto the cot. He flung her bottoms off and parted her legs, happy to see that she was already aroused and ready for him. Without any hesitation, he thrust into her, causing her to scream out in pleasure. He grunted and moaned as his thrusts became deeper and wilder. Soon Aubrielle was racing towards her climax and she fisted the sheets for support. Neville was getting further into her with every drive and she could feel him hitting her G-spot. Gods, they hadn't had sex in a month and she forgot how amazing the tingling sensation that was rapidly over taking her body was. She flung her head back and arched her back as she hit her climax.

"OH MY GOD!"

She was breathing heavy as the climax lasted longer than usual, much to her happiness, and soon she was on top of her boyfriend. She quickly straddled the wizard before sinking down onto him. He took hold of her hips and started grinding into her while she reached back and undid her bra, releasing her breasts. She put her hands foreword and braced herself on his broad shoulders while he stretched his head to seize one of her nipples in his mouth. Her pants and moans grew louder as he quickly pushed himself into her, now driven by the energy and need of his nearing climax. She too was ready to come again and in a matter of seconds, both seventh years were screaming in ecstasy as they came at the same time.

They stayed still for a moment, stuck in their euphoria. Neville slowly slid of out of her before grabbing his wand and hexing away their juices. They stayed on the cot, catching their breath. Neville took his arms and wrapped his girlfriend up in them. She leaned her head in and kissed him on his chest, not caring that they were both ridiculously sweaty. The wizard reached down and took the blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed and covered them with it. As their breathing went back to normal, they both closed their eyes, not wanting to move. Neville was the first one to break the silence.

"I love you so much Aubrielle." 

"I love you too Neville."

"You know, I was thinking, with all these cots being around, that the older Army members could sleep in here. That way we could-" 

"Neville we will NOT have sex while other people are sleeping in here!"

"Oh of course! Of course! I was just suggesting it to you so that we could be together at night. So that you wouldn't have to sleep alone. So that you could be with me."

Aubrielle perked her head up and turned it to give her boyfriend a longing kiss on the lips. She laid her head back down and rested her hand on his bare chest.

"I'd like that."

"Knew you would."

"When are you going to start sleeping in here?"

"Well Gin, Luna, Dean, Seamus, and I are going to start Saturday night. After inductions on Sunday I figure a dozen or so more students will join us. Since you still need to be officially inducted, you have to wait till Sunday."

"That's fine. Can't we stay in here tonight though? Please?"

The Gryffindor looked down to see her pouting her bottom lip out and batting her eyelashes. He smiled at her and twirled a piece of her hair with his finger.

"Of course."

Neville hugged his girlfriend tightly, loving the feel of her against him. They both were way too stubborn to move or put their clothes back on and so they stayed in the bed and fell asleep, naked and in each other's arms.

(Saturday September 27th)

The five students were packed and ready to move into the Room at sunset. They decided to all head there one at a time as to not seem too suspicious. After Neville told them the password, and they swore to never speak it to anyone, they quickly made a plan on how to get there. Neville would go first and the rest would follow after counting to 100 in between each person. They had all met up in the Gryffindor Common Room, since most of them belonged to that house anyway. Neville slowly opened the portrait and peered down the hallway, looking for the Carrows. Most of the time they lingered around the Great Hall, so it didn't surprise him to find that they were nowhere in sight. He grabbed his trunk and gave the rest of the gang a thumbs up before walking quickly towards the Room. He reached the walk and quietly spoke the password before bolting into the room and shutting the door behind him. He knew exactly which bed he wanted and quickly claimed the cot that he had made love to his girlfriend on two nights prior. It was already theirs in his mind.

The doors materialized again and Dean entered the Room. He had never seen it before and Neville enjoyed seeing his shock and awe. Dean smiled before walking towards a hammock.

"This is bloody brilliant."

"Isn't it?"

The boys started to organize their trunks when Luna appeared. After her came Seamus and Ginny made up the rear. They spread out across the room, wanting their space, and set up everything. Neville had to admit; it was exciting being the rebel. Sure, he had broken the rules before, but now he was the one in charge for the most part and could feel his adrenaline growing by the day. It was so satisfying to go against the Carrows and Snape. Once they had their things in order, they met at the center of the room to talk about the induction ceremony. Luna, Ginny, and Neville had already been declared the officials for the ceremony but they needed exact numbers of new members. Luna started off by naming the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs.

"For sure students from Ravenclaw include Aubrielle and Nielah Song. Michael Corner, Padma Patil, and myself are already members. For sure students from Hufflepuff include Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan, and Marcus Belby." She named five more Ravenclaws and six more Hufflepuffs but Neville had never heard their names before.

"Excellent. And Ginny, what's the status on the Gryffindors?"

"New recruits are Romilda Vane, Katie Bell, Cormac McLaggen, and Colin and Dennis Creevey. Myself, Parvati, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Nigel, and of course, you, Neville, are already members." She also named off eight more names and Neville was quite ashamed to admit that he hadn't heard of the students who were in the same house as him.

"Anyone else?"

The room was quiet for a moment but Luna broke the silence with her airy voice.

"There is one more. Emolly Goldster."

"The seventh year Slytherin? Can we trust her?" Dean raised his forehead and crossed her arms over his chest.

"Yes. She is a friend of Aubrielle's. And not _all_ Slytherins are evil Dean."

The group looked around at each other. They had never had a Slytherin in the Army. Guess it was never too late to break the prejudice though and besides, they needed as many fighters as possible. Neville tried to think about what he knew about Emolly before he confirmed her. She was a quiet girl, but very bright. The only real thing that he knew about her was that she had helped Aubrielle look for Nielah when the later had gone missing the year before. She had aided Aubrielle, and that was good enough for him.

"Alright. She'll be inducted as well."

"So how is this going to work?"

"We'll line them up by house and have them swear on our old oath."

"Do you remember it?"

"Yes. It isn't that long and it's fairly simple. After they swear on the oath, we'll give them their coin and then it will be official."

"Wait…we still have some coins?"

"Luna found some in the bottom drawer of that dresser." Neville pointed to the desk sitting in the corner.

They all shook their heads in understanding. This was it. As of tomorrow, they were starting a revolution. It was quiet exhilarating really. They talked for a couple more minutes, laying out the lesson plans and such, before going to their separate beds and changing into their nightclothes. After saying goodnight to each other, the students settled down onto their new beds and dreamed for the first time in weeks.

**Hope you guys liked it! And I think the smut scene had such a cute ending if I do say so myself :) Review!**


	4. New Members

**So…I haven't done this yet and I probably should. I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BY THE GENIUS J.K. ROWLING. However, I DO want to take credit for three characters in these stories. Aubrielle Song, Nielah Song, and Emolly Goldster are witches created with my own brain. And I must say, I love watching them grow and develop. Review!**

(Sunday, September 28th)

It was the day of inductions and Neville was nervously standing in the Room with most of the returning members. The only alumni that weren't there were Dean and Padma. They were taking small groups of students from the library and leading them to the Room since none of the new recruits knew the password for the ward. Dean would take the Gryffindors and Emolly, because she was one Slytherin and could easily blend in with the Gryffindors if a Carrow were to come walking, while Padma led the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. They weren't going all at once time, however, because that would be downright dumb on their part. Neville rubbed his hands together as Dean entered with the first batch of Gryffindors. The students stumbled into the Room, absolutely amazed by it all, before Dean headed back to the library for the second group. Padma followed shortly after with a group of Ravenclaws. As the students started to come in, Neville grouped them by their houses. He felt a little bit sorry for Emolly when he saw her standing all alone. Once all the students were inside, and the alumni were standing on the opposite side of a glowing line that Luna had created, Neville realized just how many students there were. Total there were 41, but since ten of them were already members, that left him to induct 31 new recruits. He smiled at the students.

"Welcome guys. As you know, you are here to be inducted into Dumbledore's army. It is a secret society with the purpose of teaching students how to more effectively defend themselves against the Dark Arts. This is our headquarters, the Room of Requirement, and once you are a member, you must swear to keep it a secret. Is that clear?"

Everyone shook his or her head, smiling. This was just as exciting for them as it was for Neville. Ginny stepped foreword to start the ceremony.

"First we will recite the oath for the Army together. Repeat after me. In Honor of THE Albus Dumbledore…"

"In honor of THE Albus Dumbledore…" 

"I promise to fight for what is right and be strong against Dark Magic and its influences."

"I promise to fight for what is right and be strong against Dark Magic and its influences."

"By becoming a member of Dumbledore's Army…"

"By becoming a member of Dumbledore's Army…" 

"I promise to swear to secrecy and I will not reveal anything that happens in this Room."

"I promise to swear to secrecy and I will not reveal anything that happens in this Room."

"And I promise to fight for my fellow members."

"And I promise to fight for my fellow members."

Ginny smiled as she said the last line of the oath, "Mischief managed."

"Mischief managed."

The students stood there, anxious for the next step. Ginny went back to her spot and Luna and Neville stepped forward. Neville held the pouch of Army coins in his hands while Luna recited the new Ravenclaw members.

"Nielah Song."

The dark haired fifth year walked to Luna and smiled brightly. Luna reached into the pouch and took out a coin and handed it to the witch.

"Congratulations. You are now a member of Dumbledore's Army."

The youngest Song sister gladly accepted the coin and stepped across the glowing line, practically swelling with pride. Luna continued to the next recruit.

"Aubrielle Song."

As the seventh year stepped towards Luna, Neville felt his heart flutter. He was beyond excited to have Aubrielle join the Army. It showed that she was a smart and strong witch. She looked over and smiled at him before accepting her coin from Luna.

"Congratulations. You are now a member of Dumbledore's Army."

Aubrielle thanked Luna and joined her sister on the other side of the line. Luna finished the rest of the Ravenclaws and stepped back so Seamus could induct the Hufflepuffs.

"Susan Bones."

As the Gryffindor continued down the list of Hufflepuffs, Neville couldn't help but study the lone Slytherin. She was standing there perfectly still, observing the process. She was popular among the boys, with deep chestnut colored eyes and long, straight blonde hair. She had a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and her lips were full. She was approximately the same size as Aubrielle, but about a couple inches taller. Neville kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was, truthfully, a stunning girl and he caught himself wondering why she didn't have a boyfriend. Come to think of it, she hadn't had a boyfriend since she dated Blaise Zabini during fifth year. Curious.

Seamus finished with the Hufflepuffs and Dean stepped foreword to instate the only Slytherin.

"Emolly Goldster."

While the blonde walked to Dean, everyone was silent. It was obvious that people had a problem letting a Slytherin into the Army. Dean handed her the gold coin.

"Congratulations. You are now a member of Dumbledore's Army."

"Thank you so much."

She gladly accepted the coin and went over to Aubrielle. The two girls hugged and Neville couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter that she was a Slytherin; she had a good heart. And besides, Luna had said so herself, not _all_ Slytherins are evil. Now it was Neville's turn to call names and Lavender came and took the bag of coins out of his hands. He smiled at his fellow housemates. He couldn't wait to add more Gryffindors to the Army.

"Romilda Vane."

The seventh year rushed foreword with a bounce in her step. Neville handed her the coin.

"Congratulations. You are now a member of Dumbledore's Army."

She grinned at him before crossing the line. Neville continued to the next student.

"Katie Bell."

It went on like that until all the Gryffindor's were properly inducted. By the end, everyone was on one side of the line, united. Neville turned to face everyone.

"Congratulations to all of you. You are now apart of Dumbledore's Army. Our first meeting will be this Wednesday night at eight. In order to enter the Room, you must recite the password. The password is to _never_ be told to anyone. In order to make the doors appear you must say, 'We're fighting to stay alive.'"

Everyone nodded their heads in mutual agreement.

"Now, as you can tell the Room is well equipped with sleeping quarters and I understand that the work load this year is very stressful. You can come here at any time of the day to get away or do work. Just make sure you are not followed here. If you are 16 or older you are allowed to sleep here at night. Those older students are allowed to start doing so tonight, so after this you can head back and gather your things. You do not have to sleep here if you do not want to; it is strictly up to you."

Neville finished and smiled at the excited students.

"Congratulations and welcome to Dumbledore's Army."

The alumni applauded for the new inductees, which made them jump up and hug each other. Aubrielle ran over to her boyfriend and he caught her in a tight hug. He picked her up so her feet couldn't touch the ground and spun her in a circle. He set her back on the floor and caught her lips in a kiss. He pulled away and looked into her dazzling hazel eyes.

"I am so proud of you."

She beamed at him before kissing him again. They held it longer this time and Dean snickered at the display.

"Merlin you two. Don't you need to breathe or something?"

Both students cracked up, ending the kiss. Aubrielle took her arms out from around the Gryffindor's neck and placed them on his chest.

"I have to go grab my trunk and then I'll be right back."

"Okay. Be careful please."

"I will."

Aubrielle left the Room along with most of the other students. Dean, Luna, Ginny, and Seamus were still there since they had already moved in, and the five gathered to talk before the older students came back with their things. Ginny was the first one to speak.

"Both Patil twins talked to me before the inductions. They are going to stay in the dorms so they can watch over the younger members of their houses. Susan Bones is doing the same for the Hufflepuffs."

Neville was surprised, but pleased, with their sacrifices. "That's very selfless of them."

"They're great witches."

"Indeed."

The doors resurfaced and Hannah Abbot walked in with Marcus Belby and Ernie Macmillan, trunks in hand. They picked out beds and Neville was happy to see that the Room wasn't divided by gender since he and Aubrielle were sharing the same bed. They were young adults, after all, and they could handle sleeping next to the opposite sex. The next group to come in was the pack of Gryffindors. Romilda, Katie, Cormac, Lavender, and Nigel all walked in with their trunks and got situated.

Neville looked around the room and all the students there. It was surreal that Hogwarts had come to this. Just a few years ago it was a joyous and bright place. Now it was practically jail.

The next three students to get to the Room were Aubrielle, Michael, and a newly sixteen Nielah, whose birthday took place a week before school started. Emolly followed close behind and brought up the rear. Neville was happy to see the Slytherin come in with her trunk. She needed to gain everyone's trust and staying in the Room was certainly going to help that process quicken. In total there were seventeen students that chose to sleep there and there was still plenty of room in case any of the older students changed their minds. Neville went over to Aubrielle and grabbed her trunk out of her hand. She playfully batted her eyelashes.

"Such a gentleman."

She went up on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on his cheek. He smiled at her and put his trunk at the foot of his bed. She reddened as she realized what bed it was. He turned to see her blushing and found her embarrassment cute. He took a step closer so he could wrap his arms around her tiny shoulders. He lowered his voice and whispered into her ear as she took her arms and linked them behind his waist.

"I figured it was already ours."

"Hmmm…"

Stuck in their love-struck haze, they continued to embrace, not really noticing who was watching. So their mouths were open and their tongues were down each other's throats.

"Keep the snogging to a minimum when I'm present please!" Aubrielle didn't hear her little sister's request and continued to passionately snog Neville. Nielah finally raised her voice at the couple. "OY! YOUR LITTLE SISTER IS STANDING RIGHT HERE!"

Aubrielle snapped back to reality and quickly pulled away from Neville to find him smirking at her. "You can't get enough of me, can you?" He sounded a little too cocky for her liking. She looked around to find everyone looking at her. 

"SHUT IT. All of you!"

Aubrielle threw herself on the bed, completely humiliated by what had just happened. She buried her face into the pillow so no one could see her blushing. She heard Neville laughing next to the bed, which caused her to get even more upset. Her sister was one thing; she didn't need her boyfriend laughing at her too. She felt someone sit down on the side of the bed and place a reassuring hand on her back. '_This better be Neville with an apology_.' She thought stubbornly. She turned her head to its side to instead see Emolly Goldster looking down at her. She smiled at her friend.

"Hey."

"Hey. Ignore him Aubs. He's just being a boy."

Aubrielle looked to see her boyfriend joking with Dean and Michael about her eagerness. She turned to face her friend again.

"I know. I just…don't like it when he acts like some hot shot like that. It makes me feel like meat."

Emolly gave her friend a small smile and pulled her up so she was sitting next to her. The Slytherin wrapped her arm around her friend's side and Aubrielle responded by resting her head on Emolly's shoulder. The two witches sat there for a moment without talking.

Aubrielle loved the friendship she had with Emolly. They understood each other so well without even having to say anything. They were both quiet witches, but that didn't mean that they were weak. They were both very intelligent and their spells were never short from extraordinary. Since Aubrielle had started dating Neville, she had seen Emolly less and less. They had grown apart in a sense and Aubrielle knew it was her fault. She spent her entire summer drooling over Neville when she could have been having great times with Emolly like she normally did. Meanwhile, Neville still went and hung out with Seamus, Dean, and Ginny all the time. Aubrielle started to subconsciously question her relationship that she had with the Gryffindor. Now that she thought about it, she had changed quite a lot since she started dating Neville. Had she become one of the ridiculous fan girls that she never wanted to be? No, no she hadn't. Her relationship with Neville may be time consuming, but she had a lot of great memories with him. She tightly wrapped her arms around Emolly.

"I am sorry I've been so distant from you Emolly. I just got so attached to Neville and-"

"It's okay Aubs. I understand completely. He's your first boyfriend and it's only natural that you fell for him as quickly as you did."

"I still feel terrible."

"Don't. That's one of the reasons I wanted to join the Army. So I could see you more."

Aubrielle lifted her head, feeling sentimental. It was so sad that her best friend had to do this just she could _talk_ to her again. Aubrielle swore at that very moment that she would be a better friend to Emolly. She smiled at her.

"How about we take two of the corner beds and combine them. We can have a little sleepover just like we use to."

Emolly grinned at her best friend, pleased to see her acting like herself again.

"Sounds awesome."

The two seventh years stood up moved their trunks to one of the corners. They pushed the cots together to make a bigger bed and dressed them accordingly. Neville raised his eyes at the witches and went over to see what they were doing.

"Aubrielle, why did you move your trunk?" 

"Because I'm sleeping with Emolly." She said very matter of factly.

Neville's mouth fell open as he heard her tone of voice. She had never been so rude to him, ever. He took hold of her wrist, grabbing it a little too strongly, before pulling her around to look at him.

"Ow! Neville that hurts!"

Emolly stood there with a terrified look on her face. She was planted at that spot, frozen, not knowing what to do.

"We're going to talk…now."

He pulled her out of the Room and around the corner so they could talk out of earshot from everyone else. They settled into a little cove and Neville finally let go of her wrist. The Ravenclaw rubbed it, scared at what he had just done to her. He had never put his hands on her like that. He glared at her with dark eyes, making her wonder if the man sitting across from her was really her boyfriend. When he spoke to her he had a hint of annoyance in his voice and Aubrielle did not like it one bit.

"What is up with you? I thought we were going to share a bed."

"Well I changed my mind. I'm sleeping with Emolly."

"Since when are you all buddy, buddy with her? I knew you guys were friends but you never talked about her much."

"Because I was so wrapped up with you! I never got to see her because I was too busy following you around! I've realized how terrible of a friend I've been to her and I'm going to make it right."

"Make it right?"

"Yes, make it right! I'm going to be her friend again. And if you don't approve, well, I don't care!"

She sat there with her arms crossed, defiant. Neville had never really gotten mad at Aubrielle until now. She was being so sassy and he wanted her to stop it. The whole point of letting the older students sleep in the Room was so that he could be with her more and hold her like he use to. His anger started to bubble inside of him.

"Merlin Aubrielle! Just three nights ago we were celebrating our ten-month and having awesome sex! Now it's like you don't even care about our relationship!"

Aubrielle's eyes widened at him. How dare he say that she didn't care! He had taken it way to far. She stood up so she was towering over him. Her words came out in sharp breaths and she practically spat them at him.

"Don't you dare say that I don't care about this relationship Neville Longbottom. I care and you know it. I just want some bloody friend time. You get it all the time with Dean, Seamus, and Ginny. Why can't I have it with Emolly?"

"Because you're supposed to be with me!"

"I AM WITH YOU! I am at your beck and call constantly! You still got to hang out with your friends even though you are 'with me.' I have sacrificed so much for our relationship! Why can't you just let me get my way for once?"

"Let you get your way? Let you get your way? I swear Aubrielle…"

He was screaming at her now and she backed away from him, absolutely terrified. Her eyes were wide and her hands were shaking so hard that she had to clasp them together tightly. Neville caught the demeanor in her eyes change. Instead of seeing rage, he saw nothing but hurt in them. He slowly extended his hands and gripped her waist, testing the waters. She flinched at his touch but she didn't move away. He took her and pulled her down onto him and wrapped her into his arms. She quickly draped herself around him as she felt tears start to build in her eyes. She dug her face into the crook of his neck and he rubbed big circles onto her back. He lightly kissed her ear.

"I'm sorry babe. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that and I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I d-don't like fighting w-with you."

"Shhhh. I know, I know. I don't like fighting with you either. You can sleep with Emolly tonight. That's perfectly fine. I just got mad because you didn't tell me what was going on."

She lifted her face out from her neck. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were flushed. Neville took his thumb and whipped away a falling tear. Even though it was short, that was the biggest fight they had ever had. It was the only fight they had ever had now that Neville thought about it and it took a lot out of them. He felt so ashamed for hurting her like that and Aubrielle saw it in his eyes. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"I know. I should have told you instead of snapping at you. I'll sleep with you tomorrow night, promise."

"Okay."

She got off of him so he could stand up. He brought her in for another quick hug and kiss before intertwining his fingers with hers and walking back towards the Room. They reached the wall and Neville took a second so Aubrielle could compose herself.

"You ready to go back in?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. We're fighting to stay alive."

The doors appeared and the couple slowly walked in. It was obvious that near everyone was talking about them because a rushed silence fell over the Room. They let go of each other's hands; Neville walked to Ginny and Aubrielle went over to Emolly. Both wanted to talk to their friends and ask for advice. Emolly looked up to see Aubrielle walking towards her and barreled at her. She wrapped her friend into a hug and whispered into her ear.

"Do I need to hex him into next year?"

Aubrielle laughed at her friend, "No. Everything's okay now."

She unconsciously looked down at her throbbing wrist, somewhat surprised to see that it was already bruising. Emolly's eyes widened as she saw it.

"Okay? Aubrielle, look what he did to you. No man should ever put his hands on a girl like that."

"I know Em but it's okay. I promise."

She looked up at her friend to give her a reassuring glance. Emolly had always trusted Aubrielle's judgment and she wasn't about to question it now. The two girls hugged again before moving towards their double bed.

"Just like old times?" 

Aubrielle smiled at her, "Just like old times."

o.O.o

Later that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Aubrielle and Emolly were still wide-awake, catching up with each other. They were giggling like twelve year olds, even though they were taking about very grown up subjects.

"So how long have you been having sex with him?"

"For about 5 months now."

"I gotta know…is it good?"

"Well if it was bad do you think I'd keep having it?"

Emolly burst out laughing and Aubrielle had to quickly put her hand over her mouth.

"SHHH!"

The blonde giggled under her hand, which made Aubrielle laugh. Both witches smiled at each other. Emolly's faded when she saw a flash of mischief flash into her friend's hazel eyes.

"What are you think about…?"

"I was just wondering about something. Are you a virgin Em?"

Emolly had had her fair share of boyfriends but the relationships hadn't lasted that long. Aubrielle had always wondered if her friend was having sex or not but she was always too afraid to ask. Emolly looked at her.

"Of course not."

"What? Spill…now!"

"Alright alright! Keep your voice down, will ya? Remember when I dated Blaise Zabini back during fifth year?"

"Yeah…"

"Yeah. He took my virginity after about three months of us dating."

"No way! What ever happened to you two? You guys were great together." 

Emolly looked at Aubrielle cautiously. She never had told anyone about what Blaise did to her and it was still a touchy subject to her, even two years later. She stuck out her pinky to her friend.

"Swear not to tell anybody? It's really serious Aubs."

Aubrielle wrapped her finger around Emolly's, "Swear."

The Slytherin took a deep breath before speaking. As she recounted one of the worst nights of her life, her voice started to shake.

"Well, after we started having sex our relationship became purely physical. Whenever we were with each other we were doing it. That's it. We never just sat down and talked about how our day went or how we were. It was always, 'hi, come here,' and then he would pull me on top of him. I got tired of being used like that. So one night, while everyone was down in the Great Hall having dinner, he pulled me into his dorm room. I knew it was coming, I knew what he wanted, but I just wasn't having it that night. Something inside of me changed and I felt like sticking up for myself. He tried to kiss me but I pulled away. When he asked me what was wrong, I asked him if it would be okay if we just sat down and talked for a little bit. He thought I was joking so he laughed at me, which made me even madder. He went to go kiss me again but again I pulled away. Then, something inside him switched and he got furious at me. He pushed me onto the bed and used magic to pin me down. I was pretty much helpless. He ripped off my clothes and no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free; he was just too strong. And I had to lay there, helpless, and watch him…"

Aubrielle started to cry as she heard her friend's story. She had no idea. She reached out and took the blonde's hand in her own. She gave it a tight squeeze, willing her to continue.

"I watched him rape me Aubrielle. I wasn't going to let him have any satisfaction, though, so I kept my mouth shut and refused to make the noises that he strived for. That's when he backhanded me across my face. When he was done, and came inside me, he simply whisked away my bindings and got dressed as if nothing had happened. Once he was dressed he looked at me and said, 'Alright, I'm done with you,' and walked out of the room. That was the last time we ever talked."

Tears were now streaming down the witch's face and Aubrielle felt her body heat up. She was so angry with Blaise that wanted to jump out of her bed and kill him were he slept. She pulled her friend into her chest and let her drench her shirt with her tears. The blonde shook under the Ravenclaw's embrace and it took her a couple of minutes before she calmed down. Her story wasn't done yet.

"S-so then I didn't want Blaise to have the satisfaction of knowing that he was the last one to have sex with me so…so I went and had a one night stand with Theo Nott. Well of course he told everybody and all the Slytherins think I'm some sort of ragging whore. I…I'm not, obviously, but it still hurts. Funny thing is, I haven't had sex _since _Theo and they still think that. Aubrielle…" Her voice turned serious as she looked her best friend in the eye, "I care about you, you know that. And seeing Neville do that to you just brought back those memories of Blaise and I because…that's how we started. I know you are a smart girl and I know you can make your own decisions but just please be careful. Don't go down the road I did."

Aubrielle touched the bruise on her wrist. Sure, she loved Neville, but if he started to do anything worse to her she was brave enough to get out of the relationship before it got worse. At least, she thought she could. She didn't want to think about it though. Neville loved her and he said he was sorry for touching her like that. There was no way he was going to take it to the next level. She gave her friend a comforting smile.

"I'll be careful Em. Promise."

**DRAMA! Well there is your first taste of Aubrielle and Neville fighting. And I'll just say this…it won't be your last. Also, how do you feel about Emolly? Now that I have developed her more and given her some background, I'm growing quite fond of her. That's all for this update. Review for a snippet of the next chapter! HAPPY NEW YEAR!  
><strong>


	5. Emolly Goldster

**NEW UPDATE! There is a lot of Emolly in this one so I can develop her more! Hope you like it :)**

After Emolly and Aubrielle had their little sleep over, they went back to being the best of friends. They met in the Room as much as possible so they could talk or just hang out. Emolly had brought some color changing nail polish to school that year and soon both witches had on polish that changed hues whenever their emotion changed. It was little things like that that made Aubrielle so happy. She felt like a regular girl again.

Aubrielle slept with Neville the following night, as promised, but sleeping was literally the extent of their activities. They were so drained from a day's worth of classes that by the time they both reached the Room, they were on the brink of exhaustion. Neville had to admit though; he loved holding his girlfriend like that. Even if all it entailed was having her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her, nothing beat having her warmth up against him. For this exact reason, he made sure to watch what he said around her. Sure, some of the things she did with Emolly were annoying in his eyes, but he never revealed it. He had absolutely hated that fight that they had had and he refused to let another one occur. He had to be honest with himself, however. He hated sharing his girlfriend with somebody else.

(Wednesday, October 1st)

It was the first official meeting of the Army and everyone was practically squealing with delight. Classes were hard to map out due to the extensive range in year levels and skill levels, but the three administrators created a solid lesson plan. The students were all eagerly standing with their wands in hand, ready to get things underway. They were comfortably dressed, happy that the dress code didn't apply inside the Room of Requirement. Most of the students were broken up into smaller groups, talking about their day, and Neville immediately spotted his girlfriend talking to the blonde Slytherin. They were chatting away, like the best friends that they were. Neville gave a small smile in their direction, at least happy with the fact that Aubrielle was enjoying herself. If she was happy, then he was happy. Ginny stepped out in front of them and cleared her throat. The crowd quieted down, ready to get the ball rolling. She smiled at them all.

"Hey everyone! So as you know, this is our first real meeting. Now, since there is such a wide range of ages in the Army, we may do things that the older students find…too elementary. However, they are spells that you should all know like the back of your hand so for the older students; practice makes perfect. It can't hurt to do the spells again."

Ginny stepped back so Neville could take charge. He smiled at Ginny before continuing the day's lesson.

"Right. So, first off we would like you all to pair up. Try to be partners with someone who don't know so that we can all get to know each other better. After all, if you find yourself on the battlefield, you want to make sure your fellow Army members know whom to protect. Alright, get a partner!"

Everyone shuffled around to find someone. There were many handshakes and greetings as they meet someone new. Neville looked for Aubrielle and saw her with a Hufflepuff second year. He continued his speech.

"Alright good, good. Now everyone face across from your partner. Today we will be learning the most useful spell you will probably ever learn in your life. Expelliarmus. Now, before all you upper classmen whine, remember this; without his wand, a wizard is nearly powerless. Since Expelliarmus takes his wand away, it puts you in almost complete control."

The younger students eyes were hopeful as they heard Neville talk. They already saw him as such a father figure and they admired his leadership skills. Luna stepped across from Neville so that they could do a demonstration. She held out her wand and he did the same while he proceeded to talk.

"Luna and I will perform a demonstration for you. The spell itself is fairly simple. You simply flick your wrist and say, 'Expelliarmus!'"

At the sounds of his incantation, the hex reached Luna's wand and it went flying through the air towards Neville. He quickly extended his arm and caught it mid flight. Luna smiled at him, knowing the trouble that he use to have with this spell, as the kids clapped for their instructor. He walked over to Luna and gave her wand back to her after he bowed his head slightly. She smiled at him and took it back.

"Now…off you go. Find room and practice. We'll walk around to observe and give you advice if you need it."

The students scurried to the different parts of the Room and immediately started practicing. The Room became filled with the spell as their words bounced off the ceiling and walls. Neville, Ginny, and Luna started to slowly walk around the Room, watching everyone and looking to see if anyone needed help. Luna stopped when she saw a Ravenclaw third year give up after about three tries. She took the young witch's hand in her own and gave her an apologetic glance.

"Don't give up Kimberly. You'll get it. Look right as Ms. Goldster. There you go. Now, give your wrist a quick flick and say it with meaning."

The witch straightened her shoulders as she stared at the Slytherin. With pure determination in her eyes she held out her wand. She gave her wand a quick jerk and shouted at the seventh year, "EXPELLIARMUS!" Much to her pleasure, Emolly's wand uncontrollably shot out of her hand and landed at the Ravenclaw's feet. She picked it up, bewildered at what she had just accomplished. Luna happily patted the youngster on the top of her hand and continued on to the next struggling student.

Neville was purposely looking for Aubrielle and slowly walked to one of the corners once he saw her. As he approached them, he could hear his girlfriend encouraging the young Hufflepuff boy.

"It's okay David. Try again! Really concentrate me. C'mon, you can do it. Give me your best shot."

The second year shook his head at the seventh year. He cleared his throat and waved his wand in the air. "Expelliarmus!" Aubrielle's wand didn't budge and the boy hung his head in defeat. Neville chuckled under his breath. The boy reminded him of himself. He walked over to him.

"David, is it? You have the exact same problem that I use to have. You're flapping your wand around too much. It's a simple flick of the wrist. Watch me."

Neville took David's spot and faced his girlfriend; he winked at her as he raised his arm. "Expelliarmus!"

Just as expected, Aubrielle's wand left her hand and flew towards Neville. Just as quickly as he caught it, he tossed it back to her and she smiled at him. He stepped aside and motioned for David to take back his spot. The wizard shuffled forward with a newfound resolve in his eyes. He pointed his wand straight at Aubrielle and took a deep breath. In one swift movement he flicked his wand at her and recited the spell, "Expelliarmus!"

Aubrielle felt a weird sensation shoot up her arm and she watched as her wand flung out of her hand and towards the Hufflepuff. She looked back at the boy with the look of complete shock painted on her face. He slowly picked up the wand at his feet and stared at it. He extended his arm and meet Aubrielle half way so he could give her back her wand. She took it from him and he beamed up at her. Neville smiled at his girlfriend.

"Your turn love."

Aubrielle shot Neville a threatening look and the nail polish on her fingernails turned to a dark purple color. He had promised to not call her that in front of the other students but it was obvious that he had already forgotten his own rule. She refocused herself and looked at the third year. He was so innocent; she didn't want to deprive him of his wand. Then again, he had just done it to her so she wouldn't really feel that bad. She looked at him sharply, causing him to suck in a breath. Aubrielle was a bloody seventh year Ravenclaw. He had every right to be scared. She took him out his misery quickly, "Expelliarmus!"

She beamed with pride as the wizard's wand flew at her with ease. She secretly knew she would nail it. Actually, she had a twitch to try it wordless but that would have to wait for another time. Neville came over to her and gave her a quick peck on her cheek, "Great job Aubs." The witch blushed a deep crimson color and he walked away, satisfied.

The lesson went on for about another thirty minutes or so but it was getting late and the younger ones needed to get back to the dorms before curfew. The trio of instructors wrapped up the meeting and told everyone when the next lesson would be. After getting many thanks and appreciative smiles, the younger students left the Room, leaving the older ones to themselves. There wasn't much to talk about, however, as they all set to work on their stack of schoolwork. Shortly after that they all went to bed, too tired to move another muscle. Aubrielle and Neville snuggled into their bed and Neville pulled the sheet over the two of them. He spooned her from behind and whispered into her ear.

"I love you Aubrielle. Don't you ever forget that."

"I love you too Neville."

(Tuesday, October 7th)

"We're fighting to stay alive."

Neville quickly walked through the doors and headed straight to his bed. He swiftly flung his book bag on the cot and whipped out his wand. He had wanted to use his free period to practice his Patronus and get it to 'Luna standards.' He closed his eyes and smiled as a happy memory flooded back to him. He focused all his energy on his wand and held it out in front of him. He whispered the enchantment and opened his eyes to see the extent of his animal.

"Expecto Patronum."

The silvery fox flowed out his wand and started slinking around the Room. Soon it was leaping from bed to bed and Neville pivoted his body to watch it. He turned all the way around and had his heart leap out of his chest when he saw that an Army member was still in the Room. His fox dissipated as he made eye contact with Emolly Goldster, who was sitting on her bed in the corner of the Room. She set down her roll of parchment and looked at him curiously.

"That was a great Patronus you just made."

"Um…thanks."

It was awkward just having the two of them in the Room. For one thing, he had no idea what to say to her. He had never had a conversation with her, ever, and he figured that when he did at least Aubrielle would be present with him. She stood up from the bed and slowly walked towards him. He swallowed harshly, finding her ease intimidating. She took out her wand and swished it in the air.

"Expecto Patronum."

A tiny ball of light shot out of her wand and it soon took the shape of a hummingbird. It glowed bright silver and zipped in the air around the witch's head. She smiled at her little bird and let it explore the Room. Neville's jaw slightly dropped as he watched it. It was an even better Patronus than Luna's! It was so tightly composed with no silver streaks whisking away. The bird flew back towards its creator and perched itself on the Slytherin's shoulder. It faded away until it was completely gone and Emolly turned her head to look back at Neville.

"You want to know what I think about when I make it? The first time I ever met Aubrielle. We were in Diagon Alley, buying our supplies for our first year at Hogwarts. We met each other in Ollivander's, got to talking, and that very night we had our first sleepover. She was the first friend I ever made and to this day she is still my best friend."

Neville felt like an asshole. He had always cursed Emolly in his head, hating that she took away some of his Aubrielle time. But to know that that memory was powerful enough to create a flawless Patronus made him feel like such a bad person. He watched her put her wand away. She looked back at him and smiled.

"What memory do you think of?"

Neville could feel the red creep into his face at the witch's question. He nervously rubbed the back his neck. As he told her, he refused to make direct eye contact.

"Well…errr, this is embarrassing. I think of, um, the first time me and Aubrielle…uh…did _it_."

Emolly burst out laughing, much to Neville's uneasiness, before patting him on the shoulder.

"Hey, if it works!"

He awkwardly smiled at her, not knowing what to do. She nonchalantly walked back to her cot and sat cross-legged on it. Neville slowly followed her and she was surprised to see him standing there. She moved her parchment and patted the bed, telling him it was okay to sit down. He nervously took a seat and Emolly quickly broke the silence.

"You make her really happy."

"She makes me really happy."

"I know, I'm just saying. When she first started getting feelings for you, she wouldn't shut her trap about '_her_ Gryffindor.' Course I was happy for her. It's about time she found a good guy."

"Err, thanks."

"Mhmm…no problem."

There was a slight awkward pause and Neville rubbed his palms on his thighs. He took a breath and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was reading her Divination book and biting her lower lip. He took a chance and continued the conversation. 

"So… do you like being in the Army?"

She looked up from her book and smiled at him, "Oh yes! I originally joined it so I could see Aubrielle more but I've met some great people and it is really quite exciting."

"That's good to hear. Oh, and sorry about the whole, not seeing Aubrielle, thing. That's really my fault."

"Don't worry about it. It's the first relationship either of you have been in. It's only natural that you guys get attached."

"No…no, it's not acceptable. I, I shouldn't have tried to control her so much."

"Don't worry about it Neville. We're hanging out again like old times. Water under the bridge."

"Alright, as long as you know that I really am...sorry."

"Yes, I know. Thank you Neville. Oh, and Neville? Before I forget…"

"Yes?"

Her demeanor changed completely and a dark look came over her soft features. Her eyes became black, as well as her nail polish, and when she spoke to him, she had a very vicious undertone to her words.

"My Patronus isn't my only flawless spell. If you ever, and I mean ever, put your hands like that on Aubrielle again, I will come at you with everything I know and trust me, you won't stand a chance. Do you understand?"

Neville stared at her, scared out of his mind. He had just seen what she had done with her Patronus, and he really didn't want to see anything else. He nervously nodded his head, showing her that he understood perfectly, before she gave him a sweet smile.

"Good."

Neville gulped down the pill that Emolly had just shoved into his throat. While he never planned on touching his girlfriend like that again, he now had one of the most talented witches in the school on his ass. He had to respect Emolly's dedication to her friend, though, because he knew he would do the same thing to Harry if he ever mistreated Ginny. He looked back at her to find her already reading her book again. He looked at the giant clock on the wall. He only had twenty minutes left until he had to leave for his next class and even though Emolly had just made him practically wet himself, he still wanted to get to know her better.

"So, since you're threatening me and such, can I at least get to know the witch with the killer spells?"

Emolly let out a chuckle and Neville was happy to see that she at least had a sense of humor. She folded back the corner of the page she was on and closed her book. She turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't know exactly what. I just want to get to know you better since you're my girlfriend's best friend."

"Alright, well…uh, I'm an only child and I come from a pureblood family but that doesn't mean that we're strict about our beliefs and what not. If we were, I wouldn't be friends with Aubrielle since she's a half blood. I have a real knack for charms, as you can tell, but I'm not sure what I want to do with it. Although, I always thought it would be cool to one day take Flitwick's job and teach here. To be honest, I've always been jealous of Aubrielle's ability to play Quidditch so well because I'm down right awful at it. I can't stand girls who dumb themselves down to get a guy's attention, and I am perfectly happy being on my own."

She smiled at him, signifying that she was done talking, and studied his face for any reactions. He sat there, emotionless, before asking her another question that was more personal. He said it slowly, not sure if he should even be asking her something like this yet.

"Why are you…single, actually? I don't mean to sound like some creepy git, but you _are_ really pretty…"

Emolly's took a deep breath and let it out. She chose her words carefully because she didn't want to reveal too much to him. She didn't trust him that well.

"Well, I uh…don't exactly have the best reputation with the Slytherins. It's something that happened years ago, really, but it's still stuck with me. After I dated Blaise, something changed in me and I realized I don't need a boyfriend to be happy."

She looked at him cautiously, wondering how he felt about her. He didn't say anything and she hated having the attention on her. She quickly shot out a question at him, eager to have a conversation shift.

"So tell me, why Aubrielle?"

"Why _not_ Aubrielle is the real question," he beamed, not even having to think about his answer first. "She's absolutely amazing. She's smart, talented, funny, kind, brave, and to top it all off, she's absolutely gorgeous." He turned to look at the Slytherin; "I've had feelings for your best friend since I first saw her back in first year. To finally have her as my girlfriend, well it's unbelievable and I always remember how lucky I am. I really regret not asking her out sooner."

The witch heard the sincerity in the wizard's voice and she had to admit, it gave her the warm fuzzies. He was smiling to himself, reminiscing about his girlfriend, and Emolly caught herself wishing she had a boyfriend who cared about her as much as Neville cared about Aubrielle. Before things with Blaise went bad, Emolly had that. She saw the ways girls stared at her enviously and she saw the way guys oogled at her when she was on Blaise's arm. What she liked even more was how defensive he got when that happened. For those first three months, she felt like nothing could go wrong and she felt, like the fool she was, that Blaise and her could last forever. She laughed at herself as she realized how naive she use to be. She wouldn't let that happen to her again. She would make sure of it.

Without notice, Neville quickly jumped off the bed and started gathering his things. He picked up his bag and checked to make sure he had everything he needed.

"Sorry Emolly but I have class in ten minutes. It was really nice talking to you though and getting to know you better."

"Same!"

"See you soon!"

Before she could even get another word out, he was out the door. She sat on her cot, thinking about the conversation she had just had with him. He had made her open a door about herself that she thought she had bolted shut. She stretched out on her bed, letting her mind wander back to fifth year and her relationship with Blaise. Gods she was so stupid! As she recounted the good months that she had with him, she found that he really had been playing her all along. A single tear left her eye and fell down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away, hating herself for being weak, and promised herself to never be that dumb with boys again. There was no way in Hell that she would fall back in into a hole like that once more. No way.

**o.O.o**

**I LOVE EMOLLY. I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to develop her at first but I like the direction she is going in. Plus, I'm a sucker for strong female characters. Don't worry; Aubrielle will be back next chapter. Review for a sneak peak of the next chapter!**


	6. Army Lessons

**Uh…hi there. New update. And please, please, please, just find time to review. I love reading the feedback whether it be negative or positive. So please, hit that review button to make me happy. It also helps people recognize the story more :) Thanks!**

(Monday, October 13th)

The three instructors for Dumbledore's Army, Luna, Neville, and Ginny, took turns teaching the lessons. Today was Luna's turn and she was teaching everyone the petrification spell, Petrificus Totalus, as well as its counter course, Rennervate. As usual, she asked everyone to pair up and to do so with someone that they still weren't familiar with. The first time Luna taught a lesson no one really took her seriously, except for the alumni, because of her light and airy voice. However, as soon as she knocked Neville silly with a quick flick of her wand, no one ever underestimated her again. She smiled at everyone and Neville nervously stepped across from her. He had had this spell used on him before and he really wasn't looking forward to being fossilized again. She cleared her throat and everyone pivoted to face her. Before even explaining what the lesson plan was, she winked at Neville and raised her wand threateningly.

"Petrificus Totalus."

Without warning, Neville's entire being froze and he fell backwards, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Aubrielle let out a shriek as she saw her boyfriend lying there, completely still. She rushed foreword to him but Luna held up her hand. Aubrielle stopped, completely terrified, and watched as Luna aimed her wand at the wizard once more.

"Rennervate."

Neville's body warmed and he was soon moving and on his feet again. Aubrielle stood there with her hands over her mouth, not sure what to do. She felt so stupid to think that he was really in any sort of danger and she hurried back to her partner. Luna's delicate voice filled the Room.

"That's what I'll be teaching you today. As you can see, the first one petrifies your opponent completely. Just point your wand at your partner and say 'Petrificus Totalus.'" No one moved so Luna made sure to make herself clearer the second time. "Point your wand at your partner…"

The students timidly stood apart from each other. Aubrielle looked cautiously at Hannah Abbott.

"D-do you want to go first, or me?"

"You can go…first."

The Hufflepuff looked at Aubrielle and closed her eyes. The Ravenclaw lifted her wand and pointed it at the seventh year.

"O-ok. Petrificus Totalus."

The witch's arms shot to her side and she fell to the ground. Aubrielle felt like crying as she saw the girl lying there. The Room sounded like fireworks were going off in it as half of the students hit the floor. Before she knew it, only half of them were standing. Luna smiled at the fallen bodies, which made everyone uneasy.

"Now, the counter curse is Rennervate. Just point your wand at them and say the spell. It's that easy."

Aubrielle turned back to Hannah and said the enchantment as quickly as possible.

"RENNERVATE!"

The Hufflepuff's frozen exterior melted and Aubrielle rushed over to the witch to help her up. Hannah laughed when she saw the worried look on Aubrielle's face.

"Don't worry Aubrielle. I'm fine, really. Besides…now I get to do it to you."

She flashed a devilish grin as she took a step back from Aubrielle. The witch gulped as she saw Hannah raising her wand at her. Just as she was about to petrify her, Luna's voice cut through the air.

"Now, since half of you were petrified and didn't hear me say it, the counter curse is Rennervate. Please revive your partner as soon as you successfully petrify them."

She stopped, indicating that the other person should start. Once again the Room was filled with the thud and smacks as students' bodies hit the hard ground. Hannah tuned to face Aubrielle.

"Sorry Aubs. Petrificus Totalus!"

The Ravenclaw's body bound together as the curse overtook her being. She was as still as a statue as she fell backwards onto the stone floor. Hannah took a breath, not exactly happy about doing that to a fellow classmate, before reciting the counter curse.

"Rennervate."

Aubrielle gasped as her body quickly softened. She sat up onto her elbows and watched as the fallen students around her got up. Neville came up behind her unexpectantly and hoisted her to her feet. She fell back into him, partially dizzy from the spell. 

"How do you feel?"

"Dizzy."

"That's normal."

She regained her footing and turned to face him, "And Hermione did _that _to you? _First_ year?"

"Oh yes. And you think you're nauseous now? I was lying there for hours. When she finally came back and rejuvenated me, I was so stiff Harry had to literally move my limbs to get me going again. I had an absolutely wicked headache too. It's not fun, being petrified."

"I can only imagine."

Neville wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and for once Aubrielle had no problem showing some public affection. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Their first term was taking everything they had out of them. They were constantly swamped with schoolwork and being in Dumbledore's Army kept the idea of war hanging over their heads on a continuous basis. Moments like these were rare and Aubrielle appreciated them immensely. The witch circled her arms around Neville's waist and just stood there in his embrace.

"I don't ever want to see you petrified like that again. Even if it was just a demonstration."

"You won't, I promise."

o.O.o

_Aubrielle didn't even recognize the castle anymore. Everything was in ruins and there were bodies everywhere. Some of them were deatheaters but some of them were her schoolmates. She nervously walked through the debris, looking to see if anyone was still breathing. Most of the students were back in the Great Hall, well, what was left of it, but she was determined to try and help as many people as possible. She went up to anyone who had a Hogwarts robe on and checked to see if they had a pulse. She was carrying a canteen of Doua Sansa, something Neville had given her before the battle, and planned on using it on anyone who was still breathing. She saw a girl wearing Ravenclaw robes twisted awkwardly and panicked as she recognized the long, dark waves of her little sister._

"_NIELAH!"_

_She sprinted towards the fifth year and kneeled down next to her. She turned her around and brushed the hair out of her face. The witch was breathing, but just barely. Aubrielle quickly untwisted the cap on her container and let some of the potion fall into her kid sister's mouth. She inhaled deeply and coughed when her body finally reacted to the serum. Aubrielle's eyes started watering up as her sister blinked once, twice._

"…_A-Aubs…"_

_Aubrielle leaned down and cradled her sister in her arms. She held her tightly and got to her feet so she could carry her to the Great Hall. Nielah was limp in her arms but at least she was alive. As soon as they reached the Hall, Madame Pomfrey came rushing over to the witches._

"_Is she alive?"_

"_Yes, but just barely. I just gave her some Doua Sansa."_

"_Good, good. Let me take her. Here…"_

_Aubrielle gently passed her sister over to the medic and watched as she was placed onto a makeshift stretcher. As Aubrielle observed, silent, Luna came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. The witch spun around to see the seventh year crying._

"_Luna? What is it?"_

"_I-I need to s-show you something."_

"_Okay…"_

_Luna gingerly took Aubrielle's hand in her own and slowly started walking towards one of the temporary rooms that had been created out of curtains. Luna took a deep breath before stopping in front of the drapes. Aubrielle's heart was now beating so loud that her ears were ringing. She had no idea who or what was behind the curtain but by Luna's nervousness, she was really scared it was someone she cared about. Luna looked back at her, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_I-I'm so s-sorry…"_

_She gently pulled back the curtain to reveal a body lying on the cot. As Aubrielle identified the boy lying there, her hands shot to her mouth in disbelief. Lying there, completely motionless and white as snow, was Neville. Within seconds Aubrielle was in hysterics as she took in his pale and stolid appearance._

"_NO! NEVILLE! L-Luna please t-tell me he's not…"_

_Luna came over and engulfed the witch in her arms._

_"He's gone Aubs. I-I'm so sorry…"_

"_NO! NO IT CAN'T BE! NO! NEVILLE! Neville wake up, wake up, wake up. Please wake up! Neville please! WAKE UP!_

"AUBRIELLE!"

The witch was thrashing on the cot with tears streaming out of her closed eyes. Neville was gently shaking her, trying to get her to wake up.

"AUBS! Babe, I'm here, I'm here. Please wake up…"

She shot her eyes open and started gasping for air. She was shaking uncontrollably and her heart was beating too quickly for her own good. Neville was watching her, confused at what to do. Her screaming obviously meant that she was having a nightmare but he didn't know how bad it was. She had woken up almost all of the students in the Room but most of them brushed it off when they saw that there wasn't a real threat. Neville was hovering over his girlfriend, showing her that he was there for her.

"Love, I'm here. You're okay… you're-"

"NEVILLE!"

Her arms shot up around his neck and she pulled him down next to her. She frantically wrapped herself around him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. He put his arm around her and started rubbing her back, still unsure of what to do. She was panting and sobbing at the same time, wetting his nightshirt.

"Shhhh, you're alright. I'm here. Shhh…" 

"Y-you were d-dead Neville. D-dead."

The wizard took the witch and flipped her so she was lying directly on his stomach. He encircled her in his arms, praying that her pain would go away. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent. She found the constant rhythm of his heartbeat and was able to finally calm down. He had his hands under her tank top, gently scratching her back. She finally had her emotions under control but she refused to shut her eyes, too afraid of the nightmare that awaited her. Neville's body ached as he thought about what she had said. If he had just had a dream about his girlfriend dying, he would be the same way too. All he could do was hold her until all her fears disappeared.

"I love you Aubrielle. And I'll always be here for you no matter what. I love you."

She lifted her head and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I love you too. I love you so much…"

(Wednesday, October 15th)

A new day, a new spell. Only this time, Neville was standing with the Army members instead of with the instructors. Since her terrifying nightmare, Aubrielle clung to him like a third arm. She was always paranoid and no matter how many times he told her he was all right, she still stayed with him. He was always reassuring her, convinced that she would be back to normal in about a week's time.

Ginny stepped in front of the crowd, happy that it was her turn to teach again. She quite enjoyed showing off her knowledge and skills. It made her feel important.

"Today we will be learning about one of my favorite spells, Levicorpus. Why do I fancy it so much, you ask? Well, it's because you can do so much with it. Luna, if you would please…"

The blonde, smiling, stepped in front of her friend. Ginny winked at her before giving the demonstration.

"Levicorpus."

Ginny concentrated her wand on the Ravenclaw, never breaking eye contact. Luna quickly rose into the air and hovered there, as if invisible strings were holding her up. Ginny kept looking at her, even while continuing the lesson.

"You see, Levicorpus can do wonderful things. You can suspend your opponent in mid-air, leaving them completely vulnerable. Once you've got the person under control, you can…turn them upside down…"

With a twist of her wand, Luna was dangling by her feet. She quickly shot her hands to the hem of her skirt to keep herself from flashing her knickers to the entire Army. Neville snickered as he saw the red creep into Luna's face.

"GINNY!"

"You can also send someone flying across the room, but I won't do that to my friend."

Ginny slowly lowered her wand until Luna was able to set her feet back down on the ground. She straightened out her skirt and turned to give the Gryffindor a nasty look. Ginny returned it by simply smiling at her.

"Alright, this time, instead of being in groups of two, I want you in groups of five. Each group needs to have a smaller member in it as well. The smaller the person, the easier they are to levitate so we'll start off small."

The smaller students' eyes widened. Great, now they were going to be the guinea pigs. Groups were quickly formed with the littler ones in the middle of the circle. Nielah beamed as she stood in the center of her group's ring. She had no problem being suspended in the air and she was happy that her tiny frame was finally good for something.

"Now, I want you all to concentrate on your person. Wands up. It is very important that you keep your concentration. Otherwise, your opponent will fall to the floor quite harshly. All at the same time now."

The older students circled around Nielah pointed their wands at her, which she had to admit was intimidating. Susan Bones counted to three so that they could all say the spell in unison.

"Alright guys. Lets get her afloat. One, two, three…"

"LEVICORPUS!"

Nielah giggled as she rose towards the ceiling. It felt as if her body was softly vibrating. She hung there, laughing, and looked around to the other groups to see if they had accomplished the same feat. Luna walked over to Nielah's group, absolutely pleased with their progress.

"Great jobs guys! Excellent! Now…see if you can all turn her upside down. Nielah; hold onto your skirt."

The fifth year grabbed the end of her skirt and held it against her knees. Again Susan took the lead in the directions.

"Everyone turn your wands clockwise. On my count. One, two, three-"

Nielah turned rhythmically in the air and once she was upside down her hair was practically touching the ground. Her long, dark waves cascaded off her shoulders and stood on end. She was laughing hard now and Aubrielle turned to see what her sister found so fascinating. When the seventh year saw her in the air, holding onto her skirt and her hair all wild, she couldn't help but crack up. The sensation of laughing filled her up and she couldn't stop once she started. She hadn't laughed in so long and it felt good to do so again.

Susan instructed the group to put the fifth year back onto the ground so they could move on to a larger person. Besides, Nielah needed to practice the spell as well. A Gryffindor fifth year, a beefy boy by the name of Edmond, waltzed to Nielah's old spot. She lifted her wand with the others and they all said the spell in harmony. Nielah felt the weight of the wizard wear down on her wand and she reinforced her wand hand with her free arm so she could steady herself. Now she really understood what Ginny had meant by, 'the smaller the person, the easier they are to levitate.' They finally got him in the air but it took all of their might. While Nielah had found the sensation quite fascinating, Edmond did not and he was nervously holding his breath as everyone lowered him back to the ground. They exchanged members like this until everyone had been in the air at least once. From there, they broke up into two smaller groups so they could try levitating someone with less people helping them. By the end of the lesson, Nielah was able to get a smaller person off the ground by herself. The bigger ones were still a struggle, but she would work on it.

Just like with all the other lessons, the students did a review session at the very end. They practiced the spell they had learned that day as well as the other ones from the past month as to keep their minds fresh. Every time Nielah did a spell she saw improvements and it gave her hope in her fighting abilities. If a war were to hit anytime soon, she had faith in herself and her skills. The most important thing for her was to become trained enough so Aubrielle wouldn't need to worry about her. Aubrielle was a brilliant witch, there was no doubt about it, but if she were constantly watching out for her little sister during a battle, well, she would end up at the end of the Killing Curse. Not only was Nielah trying to master these spells for her sake; but she was doing it for Aubrielle's as well.

**Sorry for the shorter update but please review. It takes two seconds. Also, I'm trying to get my story out more so if you have any friends that like fanfic or what not, tell them about the story if you think it is worth sharing. Thank you for reading!**

**P.s. If you review I'll message you a preview of the next chapter!**


	7. Spilt Secrets and Destroyed Hearts

**More smut and LOTS of drama in this one…. Oh yeah. Thank you to the anonymous readers who were kind enough to review! It really made my day :) Review PLEASE.**

(Saturday, October 25th)

As the school year progressed, it became more and more grueling. The expectations that the headmaster put on the students caused them to stay up later and wake up earlier. The only thing that they ever looked forward to was the lessons for the Army but they were more spread out now because of the homework that the Army's instructors had. Students still came to the room whenever they could in small packs to practice, but it wasn't the same thrill as learning a new spell. Saturdays were everyone's prayer at the end of the week. It was their one day to sleep in and their one day to just relax; if that was even possible.

The sun streamed through the lone window of the Room of Requirement and gave the space a pale tint. Aubrielle rolled over on the cot and bumped the sleeping mass that was her boyfriend. She smiled as he peacefully snored away, knowing that sleep was rare for him. She rested her head on his chest and giggled to herself as it slowly rose and fell with his steady breathing. The Gryffindor moaned and moved his arm so he could put it around the witch's waist. He was awake now, but he was going to pretend to be asleep just so he could mess with her. He flipped over so she was underneath him, practically smothering her into the mattress, and put all his weight on top of her. The Ravenclaw started laughing and squirming underneath him while he continued to snore.

"Neville! You big buffoon, get off ah me!"

She tried to push him off but she lacked the upper body strength. She resorted to the one trick that she knew would work and shot her hands to his armpits. Neville snorted with laughter as his girlfriend started tickling him roughly.

"Aubrielle you witch! You know how ticklish I am…"

He rolled off the bed and landed on the cold floor. Aubrielle erupted with laughter as she peered over the edge of the bed. Her hair fell over the brim of the sheets in wild waves that shined when the morning sun hit them. He was staring up at her like a schoolboy with his first crush as he took her in.

"You're absolutely beautiful, you know that?"

"Oh shush."

She spread out on the bed, blushing harshly, while her boyfriend got off the floor and brushed himself off. He took one look at her, taking up the entire bed, and laughed.

"You know, for such a small girl, you really take up a lot of space."

She stuck her tongue out at him and curled up to give him room. He pounced on the bed and wrapped her up in his arms. She coiled into him, wanting to feel his warmth, and shut her eyes. She was perfectly happy and she didn't want to move in the slightest. Neville lowered his head and kissed her on the tip of her ear, which caused the butterflies in her stomach to wake up. She squirmed a little at his touch and he responded by holding her tighter.

"So love," he whispered, "if my calculations are correct then it's the twenty fifth. That means we're exactly one month away from our one year."

Aubrielle twisted so she was facing the wizard. She brought her hands up and cupped his face and left a tender kiss on his lips.

"Your calculations are correct handsome."

"Mmm…"

He put his hand on her back so he could draw her closer to him. He met his lips with her's, but almost instantly they were forced to pull apart when Nielah spotted them on the cot.

"Bloody Hell you two. How am I supposed to sleep with you guys moaning in the next cot over? Take it somewhere else."

Aubrielle shot her sister a threatening look but Neville just brushed it off by snickering at her.

"She's right Aubs."

Aubrielle pouted, "Well where are we suppose to go?"

Neville winked at her, "I know a spot."

o.O.o

"Neville…where the Hell are we going?"

"You'll see. It's not much further."

He was dragging her out of the castle, much to the witch's unease. It was freezing outside and she was shivering under her light robe. Neville was leading his confused girlfriend out towards the greenhouses to his little cupboard of an office. The houses were constantly being warmed to accommodate the plant's needs so they would be out of the autumn's harsh morning weather. He pulled back the heavy slat of the plastic curtain to one of the greenhouses before leading her all the way to the back. He opened the wooden door to reveal his office; something that he was assigned to once he was given the post of Professor Sprout's teaching assistant. There was a small bookshelf in the corner, which had his many Herbology books and folders crammed into it, and the desk had rolls of parchment and inkwells stacked on it. Aubrielle also noticed a small picture sitting on the desk from their spring break trip to Spain during sixth year. They were both tan skinned and smiling, and Neville was giving her a piggyback ride through the streets of a small village. There was a cushioned chair in front of the desk and a peculiar plant was potted in another corner. It was small and quaint, but it was homey and comfortable. He looked back at her to see her smiling.

"It's so…adorable!"

Neville laughed lightly, "I'm glad you approve."

She grinned at him as he closed the door behind them. He hoisted her up onto his hips and she wrapped her long legs around him. They started kissing passionately and Neville plopped down on the chair with Aubrielle still in his arms. He started working on the clasp of her robe and it was off within seconds. She unbuttoned his jacket and slid it off his shoulders and his t-shirt followed shortly after. The little room had no windows and Aubrielle was already sweating from the close proximity. Before she knew it, she was completely bare from the waist up and Neville was trailing kisses down her throat until he reached the juncture of her collarbone. She threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned as he began to suck on her soft skin. She moved her hands south, finding the knot of his sweatpants, and started working feverishly at it. As soon as the loop slipped free, she slid her hand under his waistband to find his erection. She smirked to herself, satisfied to know that she had caused this, and wrapped her slender fingers around his base. He groaned against her throat as she began to do her magic and pump him. He separated from her neck and watched as his girlfriend slithered down his body until she was on her knees in front of him.

Aubrielle had been very skeptical when it came to oral sex but she found that it made her feel sexy, in a sense. She tugged at his bottoms and pushed both his pants and boxers down his legs. She looked back up and smirked when she saw that he was eager and ready for her. She took her sweet time licking her way along the length of his member and Neville tangled his fingers through her hair. He let out a deep groan as she put his entire tip into her mouth and began to bob on his length; all the while pumping the base with her hand. He looked down at the sight, ridiculously turned on, and realizing how lucky he was to have such an amazing girlfriend. His hormones overtook his body and he bucked his hips unexpectantly, causing her to take him entirely into her mouth. She held herself there for a second before pulling out.

She slowly rose to her feet and stood in front of him. She was naked from the waist up, but she still had her skirt and shoes on. She kicked off her shoes one at a time, loving the way Neville gawked at her. She turned around so her back faced him and found the zipper of her skirt. She pulled it downwards tantalizingly and finally let her skirt pool at her feet once she had it all the way undone. Neville's jaw dropped as she revealed her red lace knickers. She looked over her shoulder and winked, delighted to see his eyes dark with lust. She always had such fun teasing him like this. She hooked her fingers under the band of her knickers, slowly pulled them over her bum while swaying her hips, and inaudibly recited the contraception charm under her breath. She did it quiet enough for Neville not to hear but loud enough for her wandless magic to work properly. She let her bottoms fall as well before turning around and giving her boyfriend a full frontal view of her. He let his eyes roam over her flawless figure and licked his lips in anticipation. He rested his eyes on her breasts for a while before straying towards her womanhood.

He reached his hands out towards her, begging her to come closer. She walked to him and let him wrap his arms around her skinny waist. She opened her legs so she was straddling him and he could feel her center's warmth against his member.

When they were being intimate, they didn't need to talk. It was as if their minds functioned on the same gear and could read each other's thoughts. They just moved so well together. She wordlessly grabbed him and positioned him under her opening. She lowered herself onto him, savoring the feel of having him fill her up. As he entered her tight, wet warmth, he couldn't help but let out a loud moan. She gasped as she took him completely inside her. He gripped her hips and she started to grind on him. As they started to go faster, Aubrielle's hair stuck to her face and the back of her neck. She held onto his shoulders for support as he thrusted up into her while she bounced up and down. The heat of the room was causing them to spiral towards their peaks faster than usual and Aubrielle started to scream out in pleasure.

"YES! Neville, I'm there! I'm…OH YES! HOLY…AHH!"

She arched her back and curled her toes as the ecstasy washed over her body. She came with a loud shriek and stopped for a moment, caught in her high. Just as she was coming down, Neville gave her a few more hard lunges before releasing his load inside of her. He grunted as he came and Aubrielle fell limp against him. They were both panting and sweating but they didn't care. He lightly picked her up and slid out of her before setting her back down on his lap. She rested her head on his chest and he took his wand out to dissipate their natural juices. He kissed the top of her head and she nestled into his torso. As they sat there together, catching their breaths, they lost track of time but, eventually, they went back into the castle.

(Sunday, October 26th)

Neville, Dean, and Seamus were sitting in the back of the library, helping each other with their latest Potions assignment. They were struggling terribly and Neville couldn't concentrate. He was too busy thinking about the amazing day before and his beautiful girlfriend. He tapped the tip of his quill on the desk, leaving ink spots. Dean sat back in his chair, defeated.

"I can't do it. How the Hell are we suppose to do this in one weekend?"

"We can't." Answered Seamus, "it's impossible."

Neville scoffed as he threw the scrolls aside. He put his arms up on the table and rested his head in them. Dean winked at Seamus, who raised an eyebrow.

"Tired, eh Longbottom?"

"Exhausted."

"Aubrielle taking too much energy out of ya?"

Neville shot his head up, hearing a hint of mischief in his friend's voice. "What's that suppose to mean Dean?"

"You know perfectly well what it means. There's no shame in getting it in Longbottom."

Seamus chuckled as Neville's cheeks blushed red. He sat up straighter in his chair and looked at the two Gryffindors.

"What my girlfriend and I do in our alone time is strictly between the two of us."

"Oh spit it out Neville! Why don't you just tell us a few things? We've told you about our…experiences and it's only fair that you return the favor. We want to know…is Song a freak, or what?"

Neville looked from Dean to Seamus. These two were some of his best friends and he would trust them with his life. They had always told him about their experiences with girls, even though Neville really didn't want to hear about Dean and Ginny's old excursions, so he felt obliged to return the favor. He knew that they had good intentions. After all, they were simply happy for him. And they really weren't the ones to go blabbing. He took a deep breath and smiled at them, deciding it was okay to let _some_ details slip. He smirked at his fellow housemates.

"She's not a freak Seamus…she's an animal."

Both seventh years grinned wide and sat forward in their seats with anticipation. Dean wriggled his brows, which made Neville crack up.

"Details Longbottom."

"Oh, c'mon guys-"

"C'mon nothing! You can't say she's an animal and then not tell us anything."

"He's got a point mate…"

Neville held his hands up in defeat, "Alright, alright! What do you want to know?"

"Who's normally on top?"

"It changes all the time. It depends on where we are."

"Yesterday…"

"She was."

Dean patted his friend on the back, proud of his accomplishments with his girlfriend. The two wizards continued to fire off questions. 

"Is she loud?"

"Oh yeah. She's a screamer."

"NICE! Just out of curiosity…what kind of knickers did she wear yesterday?"

Neville smirked, "Red lace."

Seamus's eye widened as he pictured Aubrielle in his head. He had done it before, but he felt it was wrong since it was his best mate's girlfriend. Neville saw the look on his face and socked him in the shoulder.

"Quit thinking about Aubrielle like that!"

"Sorry! Sorry…"

Dean smiled, "Everyone fantasies about your girl Neville. But anyway, I'm not done asking questions."

"Great…"

"Just tell me flat out, is she good in bed?"

"She's bloody amazing. If she wasn't, do you think I'd still be doing it with her?"

"Good point. Has she ever…gotten on her knees for you?"

Dean winked at Neville as his blush returned to his face. Seamus put his feet up on the table, completely comfortable with the flow of conversation.

"Yeah…she has."

"Whoa…didn't know Aubrielle had it in her."

"She's only done it a couple of times…"

"So? She's still done it. How far has she taken you?"

"DEAN!"

"Get over yourself Neville and just tell us. Your pauses are getting quite annoying. I'm going to say it again. How far has she taken you?"

Neville sat there, looking at Dean. Should he really be revealing all this? It was his girlfriend and he liked having her all to himself. He didn't want to share her with his buds.

"You know what? I'm done. I don't want to say anything more about Aubrielle and I's sex life. It's ours and only ours. Sorry mate."

Dean gave his friend a reassuring smile. "It's alright Neville. I understand."

"And this will be kept between the three of us and only the three of us."

The other two wizards nodded their heads, "Of course."

Neville smiled, happy that that was the end of that.

o.O.o

"HE WHAT?"

"He was spilling everything about you and your sex life! He told them that you were a screamer, that you wore red lace knickers yesterday, that you give him head…"

"I'm going to kill that boy!"

Aubrielle was pacing back and fourth in the Room of Requirement while everyone was at dinner. Emolly was sitting on the nearest cot with her face twisted in a furious scowl. She was sitting in a cove of the library, working on her Transfiguration project, when she overheard Dean, Seamus, and Neville going on about something. She stood up and leaned against the bookcase and absorbed the entire conversation. As soon as Neville told Dean that his girlfriend gave him head, the Slytherin bolted out of the library to look for Aubrielle. She spotted her in the hallway and quickly threw her into the Room so they could talk in private.

"Dean and Seamus were pressuring him and he gave in."

Aubrielle had tears streaking down her cheeks and her face was red with rage. She sat down next to Emolly on the bed and let the emotions fly out of her. She spoke through gritted teeth.

"What else did he say?"

"Well…he talked about how you were on top yesterday. He did say you were 'bloody amazing in bed' though…"

"Emolly…"

"Sorry. Oh, and he called you an animal."

"That…insufferable…pea brained…ignorant…arse!"

She put her head in her hands and sobbed, her entire being shaking from the emotions that were rocking through her. Why had he done this to her? Why in Merlin's name would he go blabbing about their intimate life? Sure, she had told Emolly that she was having sex, but she didn't reveal any details! She just didn't understand! She thought her boyfriend was above that. The Slytherin placed a hand on her best friend's back and started massaging her.

"I'm sorry Aubs. What…what are you gonna do?"

Aubrielle picked her head up and looked at her friend through glassy, blood shot eyes.

"Lets just say that tomorrow…he won't know what hit him."

o.O.o

That night Aubrielle slept with Emolly. When Neville asked her why, she gave him the cold shoulder and simply didn't reply. Not wanting to start another argument, he shrugged his shoulders and slept alone. While he snored away, Aubrielle and Emolly were wide-awake, talking about the following day. Neville didn't say anything to his girlfriend because he didn't want a confrontation, but in Aubrielle's eyes, he had already said enough.

(Monday, October 27th)

The following day was another lesson but Aubrielle had asked Neville to meet her at the Room thirty minutes earlier to help her with a spell. She was standing there already, wand in hand, and staring at the portrait of the lovely young lady that hung on the wall. She heard the doors open behind her but didn't even bother to turn around. She knew it was her boyfriend. He walked into the Room suspiciously, wondering why she was facing away from him.

"Hey Aubs. What spell did you need help with?"

She spun around and concentrated on his wand arm as he took out his wand. Without even saying the incantation, the wand flew out of his hand and landed at her feet. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.

"Aubrielle! You just did Expelliarmus wordless…and wandless…"

"I know. I've been practicing that one. And a couple others…"

He raised an eyebrow at her when he heard the tone of her voice. She aimed her wand at him and flicked her wrist. Ropes shot out of the tip of her rod and wrapped themselves around her boyfriend. He stood there, shocked, as she walked closer to him.

"What the Hell Aubrielle…"

"How could you? How could you tell Dean and Seamus about our sex life?"

Neville was in awe. Which one of them betrayed him like that? He thrashed against the ropes but it was no use. Aubrielle's binding curse was full proof.

"Aubs, love, please…"

"Don't call me love! I am _not_ your love! I think you said so yourself…I'm your ANIMAL!"

"Please calm down! I don't know how you figured out about my conversation…"

"Emolly was in the cove next to you! SHE OVERHEARD EVERYTHING! If she heard you guys than other people probably did too! How could you reveal that stuff? That was special to us!"

She was crying now, the rage of her emotions getting the best of her. She had been so stressed since the beginning of the school year with all the homework, the war, and the relationship that she just let it all fall on her at once. All Neville could do was stay there in the ropes and take it. He felt terrible knowing that Aubrielle was hurting so much but he honestly felt like it wasn't that big of a deal. Still, she continued to scream at him.

"You…YOU'RE A PIG NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!"

"Hold on! I am NOT a pig Aubrielle! I'm sorry that you had to learn about it this way but please calm down! It was just some guys having a conversation-"

"ABOUT ME! About what I choose to do in bed! It was wrong! Did you really have to tell them what color my knickers were?"

"Dean asked me about it! He tells me all the details about his girls and I felt bad for not telling him anything. PLEASE CALL DOWN!" 

"NO! No Neville! Don't tell me to calm down! You are an arse for saying those things! You could've said no! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED TALKING!"

"AND I DID! I DID, I SWEAR! Dean asked a question that crossed the line and I stopped! I told him no! I PROMISE!"

Aubrielle pointed her wand threatening at him. This wasn't a fight that he was going to win.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT TELLING THEM I GIVE HEAD WAS CROSSING THE LINE!"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry! That one did! I'm sorry babe! Please untie me so we can talk!"

"NO! LEVICORPUS!" 

The wizard rose into the air and was instantly flipped upside down. She twisted her wand in her hand and the Gryffindor spun in the air. Once she knew he was feeling dizzy and nauseous, she let her concentration 'slip' and he came crashing to the ground. With another flick of her wand he was free from his bonds. She angrily chucked his wand back at him, secretly hoping that he would fight her so she could cause him more pain. He gripped his head as he regained his equilibrium and curled his fingers around his wand. He stood up warily and looked at his girlfriend who was in hysterics. She was on her knees with her head hung, sobbing. He took a step towards her with his hands out, unsure of how to handle the situation. He had never seen this much pain or anger from anyone, let alone his girlfriend. She heard him walking towards her and she immediately raised her wand. He stopped dead in his tracks as he watched her get to her feet. She glared at him with eyes hostile enough to kill.

"Why? Just tell me why in Merlin's name you would expose that stuff to Dean and Seamus."

"Like I said, those two have told me everything about their girls. I felt bad and they suckered me into it. To my defense they promised me afterwards that they would never tell anyone! How was I suppose to know that Emolly was listening?

"You know you could have stood up to them and said no! You could have been a bloody Gryffindor for once!" 

Neville went from upset to angry in about a millisecond. He didn't get upset about many things, but questioning his house traits was one of them. Aubrielle knew how self-conscious he was about it too.

"NOW YOU HOLD UP ONE DAMN MINUTE AUBRIELLE. Don't you dare question my courage or loyalty! I LOVE YOU! I love you! I didn't mean to hurt you! I am so sorry-"

"IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT NEVILLE! Do you know how much that hurt? Do you understand how upset I am!"

They were screaming at the top of their lungs by now and neither of them heard the other students enter the Room. They shuffled in, scared to say anything, and watched the fight unfold in front of them. Emolly and Ginny watched wide-eyed as their best friends fought against each other. From what people could tell, Aubrielle was furious about something Neville had done and this wasn't going to end in a kiss and make-up like last time. The witch was bawling, letting the tears drip from her chin, and Neville looked like he was going to throw up.

"I'M SORRY FOR HURTING YOU! How many times do I have to say it? I'm sorry Aubrielle! I genuinely am! If I could take it all back I would!"

"YEAH WELL YOU CAN'T NEVILLE!"

"Can you please calm down and lower your voice?"

"WHY! You said it yourself, I'M A BLOODY SCREAMER!"

He grew silent, understanding that this was it. This is what it had come to. He had hurt her so badly that she was beside herself and not in the right state of mind. He hung his head, feeling the sting of tears building up in his eyes. He looked at her to see her still crying, as if her life depended on it. He spoke to his girlfriend through quivering lips.

"I'm s-so sorry A-Aubrielle."

"I am too. We're done Neville. Done."

"Aubrielle…please…"

She stared at him defiantly, "We're done."

He started crying at that moment and he felt like someone had taken a hammer to his heart. He turned on his heel and darted out of the Room and Ginny ran out after him. Aubrielle hit the floor in hysterics and let all the pressure that had built up drain out of her. Emolly went rushing over to her and quickly gathered her up in her arms. The Ravenclaw's entire body shook as the pain emptied out of her. Emolly was stroking her friend's hair and shushing her, trying to force her to get herself together. Luna stepped in front of the students and gave them an apologetic look.

"No lesson today. Head back to your dorms. The older ones too."

Within seconds everyone was gone and the only people left in the Room were Emolly and a destroyed Aubrielle.

**DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DID YOU! Mwahahaha Sorry if you hate me but it had to happen. Not every relationship is perfect, ya know? Review for a chunk of the next update! And trust me…you want that chunk.**


	8. Fed Up

**New update! Thank you for whoever reviewed! The critique is honestly so helpful! Thank you again! Review pretty please :)**

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

It was as if time had stopped. The following day in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, it was as if the clock wouldn't move. The couple changed their seats and they couldn't even look at each other because they knew it would just hurt too much. Aubrielle moved back into the Ravenclaw dorms the same night as the fight and mostly kept to herself. If she chose to talk to someone it was either Emolly or Nielah. Other than that, she completely shut herself out from everyone else and tried to wrap her around what she had just done to the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Neville wasn't much better. He slumped around the school and didn't get any sleep. He cried a lot, not caring what people though of him, and looked like an absolute wreck. Whenever Ginny asked him how he was, he simply replied with a grunt. He stopped eating almost all together and didn't shave which caused him to get some serious stubble. It seemed like their break up affected the entire school. Everything seemed dark and depressing to almost everyone in the Army.

But the lessons had to continue on. They couldn't afford to stop them just because of a broken relationship.

(Thursday, October 30th)

Whether he wanted to or not, it was Neville's turn to teach the next lesson. He put on a brave face and walked in front of everyone, including Aubrielle. He snuck a glance at her while she was talking to Emolly and instantly felt the familiar ache in his chest. She still looked gorgeous, as always, with her dark waves in a high ponytail. She looked freshly showered and her skin glowed a beautiful pinky olive color. He wanted her back so badly but he knew that it was too soon to try something. All he could do was watch her from a distance and pray that she would come around.

He stood up in front of the group and they all quieted down. They were all anxious to see how he would teach after the split.

"Hey guys. So today's lesson involves learning the stunning spell, Stupefy. This spell is extremely useful because it's a great way to fight without actually killing, which is what the Army stands for. This spell, based on how hard you fire it, can knock your opponent unconscious or simply confuse them for a while. It blows them off their feet as well so you can use it as a get away spell too. For this one, since the spell can actually do some harm, we're going to do today's lesson a little bit differently. Since the victim of the spell flies backwards, and we don't want a million collisions, we're going to form two lines. All the boys over here…and all the girls over here please."

The students shuffled into two long lines with a practice strip in the middle of them. Ginny and Luna took a spot at either end of the space and pointed their wands at each other. The members took a couple steps back, afraid of being hit by a rogue spell, and watched as the two witches stared each other down. They were all waiting for someone to make a move, and Luna finally shouted at her friend.

"Stupefy!"

The curse whizzed towards the red head and hit her square in the chest. She shot backwards and hit the ground with a hard thug. She gripped her forehead as Luna walked over to her to help her up. The witches smiled at each other, knowing that it was all for a demonstration, and stepped aside so two more students could try.

"Well…what are you waiting for? Lets get the duels underway. One from each line…let's go!"

Everyone looked around at each other. They really didn't want to be the first ones to go. What if they embarrassed themselves or got their asses kicked by a younger student? After standing around for some time, Emolly finally stepped into position, feeling that her spells wouldn't let her down. The boys looked from one another. Figuring that he could take the blonde, Dean stepped across from her. Little did he know, she was a lot better than anyone thought. He smiled at her playful while she gave him the iconic Slytherin smirk. They bowed to each other slightly before raising their wands. Neville made sure to state that the duels should not get out of hand.

"Remember, we're all Army members. Please try to not harm each other too severely."

Emolly turned her head to Aubrielle and winked before lifting her wand a little higher.

"Stupefy!"

The spell traveled towards Dean with great speed and hit him with incredible force. He spiraled backwards and landed face down on the cold floor, which knocked the wind out of him. He gasped for air and finally stood up once he found his breath. He turned, shocked, to see Emolly snickering at him. He made a mental note to never mess with the blonde again and took the walk of shame back into formation.

The students went on like this, stepping forward and taking turns, until almost everyone was done. Aubrielle felt a twinge of pride as she watched Nielah send Marcus Belby to the wall behind him. She gave her sister a hard high five when she returned to her spot in line.

After all the wizards had gone, Neville finally stood in the boys' spot, needing some practice himself. He waited for a female competitor and gulped as he saw his ex-girlfriend walk out across from him. Everyone was silent as they watched in anticipation.

Aubrielle really didn't know what came over her, but as soon as she saw Neville step out, she knew she wanted to duel him. She had so much emotion stored up in her and who better to release it on than the boy who hurt her? She locked eyes with him for the first time in days and felt hollowness inside of her. Yes, she was the one to end it, but that didn't mean that she didn't still care about him. She loved him and she prayed that they would eventually get back together. It just seemed that at that point in her life she couldn't handle a relationship with everything else going on and his loud-mouthed conversation sent her over the edge. She looked at him to find him hurting. She could just tell. He wasn't taking the split well at all and since when did he have facial hair like that? It looked good on him…

'_No! He hurt you. Be strong Aubrielle. It's not time, not yet.'_

They ceremoniously bowed to each other and held their wands up. Sure, Neville didn't want to injure her, but he was mad at her for breaking up with him. Why shouldn't he let her know how he was feeling? He glanced at her with a new determination in his eyes. _ 'Lets do this.'_

"Stupefy!"

Aubrielle unexpectantly hit the ground, hard, as the spell hit her. She immediately stood up and fired back at him.

"STUPEFY!"

Neville let out a yelp as the curse rocked through his body. His back hit the stone wall behind him and he fell to the floor was a crash. It took him a little bit to stand up but Aubrielle never lowered her wand. Ginny gave Luna a worried look and the two witches watched cautiously with the intent to step in if things got out of hand. The wizard got to his feet and stared at the Ravenclaw with awe. There was a lot of force behind that last spell that he hadn't expected. She glared at him and if looks could kill, well he should have been lying in a coffin right then and there. He pointed his wand at her defiantly, showing her that he wasn't going to let her bully him. And now, he wasn't going to use the simple spells that the Army had learned so far.

"Protego!"

Aubrielle gasped as the spell hit her in the chest. She crumpled to the ground and twitched as the painful curse took its effect on her. Ginny looked at the witch, mortified, before turning to look at her best friend.

"Neville!"

Aubrielle, still on the ground, raised her wand at the wizard. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Confundus!"

Neville staggered backwards until he ran into the portrait. The Room started spinning and a sharp ringing was echoing through his ears. Aubrielle slowly stood to her feet with her wand still raised high but Ginny and Luna had had enough. Luna looked at her fellow housemate and frowned.

"Expelliarmus."

Now that she was disarmed, Neville wobbled forward a little and rose his wand to get one last spell out before Ginny or Luna could notice him. Before he could even wink, however, his body froze up and he was back on the ground.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

Both Luna and Ginny spun around to see Neville frozen behind them. His wand arm was extended and Ginny realized that he had planned on attacking Aubrielle even though she was unarmed. The red head then turned to look at who had hexed him. Standing in front of the seventh year Ravenclaw was Nielah Song. Her eyes were practically glowing with hate and she kept her wand pointed in Neville's direction. She walked forward towards him and recited the counter curse.

"Rennervate."

He heaved his chest as his body regained control. Nielah crouched down and swiped his wand out of his hand before he could even move. He gawked up at the younger Song sister angrily but she was shooting dangers with her eyes back at him.

"You're a bloody coward! You were going to hex her even though she didn't have her wand. I expected so much more from you Neville."

She chucked his wand at him forcefully and it hit him in the chest with a thud. She took Aubrielle's wand out of Luna's hand and retreated back to her sister. Emolly joined the both of them and the trio walked out of the Room and into the hallway. The other students dispersed, getting the hint that the lesson was over. Ginny turned back to look at Neville, who was in shock and still on his arse. She hated to admit it but Nielah was right. That was such a cowardly thing to do. She knelt down next to her friend and he propped himself up on his elbows.

"What was that Neville, huh? I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but I'm with Nielah. That was a spineless thing to do and you know it. What's gotten into you?"

Neville stared at the sixth year as he tried to sort it out in his own head. She was right. They were both right. He had let his emotions get the best of him. He would never fight someone unless it was fair and they had their wand. He felt his eyes tear up.

"I don't know Gin. I'm not being me."

"No, you're not, and you need to fix it."

She stood up and walked to her bed, leaving him on the ground. He slumped back over and let his head hit the floor, not caring about the pain. Without Aubrielle it was almost as if he were lost. He realized that he was only happy when he was with her because it gave him something to look forward too. His body craved her all the time. Her touch, her smells, her tastes…and he physically ached when his longing couldn't be fulfilled. He missed the little things like running his fingers through her dark waves or hearing her light and cheerful laugh. He missed having her lay next to him at night and listening to her rhythmic breathing. He missed hearing her hum her choir songs or go on about some fancy potion she had mastered. He missed looking into her rich hazel eyes and getting butterflies, as if it were the first time he had ever seen her. And lastly, he missed kissing her. He missed the passion that erupted in his body when he met her soft lips with his. Gods he missed kissing her.

He stayed on the ground for a minute or two and wallowed in his sorrow. He looked pathetic and he knew it, but he could give a rat's arse what other people thought of him. The love of his life not only left him, but also was hurting because of him. It tore him apart.

o.O.o

Nielah led Aubrielle to an empty bench along the side of one of the halls. The fifth year sat down next to her sister and let her put her head on her lap. Nielah finger combed the seventh year's ponytail and Emolly came to sit at Aubrielle's feet. All three witches sat there quietly, knowing that words wouldn't do anything at this point. Aubrielle was broken, completely and utterly broken. The light in her eyes had dimmed ever since she had broken up with Neville. What made it worse was knowing that she did it to herself. She was the one that screamed and yelled. She was the one that continued to punish him even though she was holding his wand. She had deserved to get cursed back in the Room. She had done the same thing to him, really. Well, she had given it back to him about half way through the fight, but she had still injured him before that.

The accustomed sensation of crying was soon felt through her body and her cheeks were quickly stained from the tears. She had done so much crying in the last three days. She was surprised that she hadn't run her tear ducts dry by now.

Emolly looked over at Nielah and the two witches locked eyes. As if communicating by telepathy, they both came to the conclusion that something needed to be done. These two needed to talk it out or get locked in a room together (without their wands). They were both so mad at each other that they couldn't face the obvious truth; they needed to be together in order to survive all of this.

Emolly stood up from the bench and started walking back towards the Room. Even though Aubrielle knew she had left, she didn't acknowledge it because she didn't have the energy too. She cried harder. She was downright broken.

o.O.o

Emolly had gone back into the Room and grabbed Ginny. She yanked the Gryffindor out into the hall and started leading them towards the library without even putting the Carrows into the equation. Ginny went wordlessly, knowing that this was about their best friends, and followed the Slytherin to the nook behind the very last bookshelf. Emolly went and sat on the windowsill before looking at the Gryffindor.

"This is stupid and you know it. This break up is affecting everyone. Listen, Aubrielle is a complete mess and I know that Neville is even worse-"

"I know, I know. We need to do something about it. I normally try to stay away from relationship drama but this is absolutely insane."

"And that's why I came to you Ginny. You're his best friend and you know him better than I do."

"Right. Well what do you suggest? There are both so mad at each other that they are willing to inflict pain."

"I don't know. I wish we could just lock them in a room or something…"

"_That_ would end up well."

"…with_out_ their wands."

Ginny looked at the blonde. Would that work? No, it wouldn't. Aubrielle would most likely attack the poor kid. She was way too unstable to chance that. Ginny knit her brows together as she thought. Emolly had a point; this split really affected the entire Army. They had to cancel class on Monday due to the fight and today's lesson had to be cut short as well. There was a war right around the corner; they needed their members to be ready. Ginny sat on the desk and looked over at Emolly. They were two intelligent witches, surely that could think of something.

"We need…we need them to remember how great they were together. Together they could do so much, but apart, they're hopeless."

Emolly chewed on her bottom lip as she thought, "That's what I was thinking. If a war were to hit anytime soon, and Aubrielle still wasn't with Neville, well…"

"They'll both be dead by the end of it."

"Exactly. They would be too worried about each other to fight properly. So how do we get them to realize how senseless they're being?"

Both girls grew quiet again. This was a lot harder than either of them thought. Ginny looked over to a distressed Emolly. She really didn't know the Slytherin, but the blonde was growing on her. She was a bloody brilliant witch and Ginny admired her loyalty to her friend. She seemed genuine when she talked and it was obvious that she had a good head on her shoulders. She had said that Aubrielle was 'a complete mess' which surprised her a little since she was the one to dump the Gryffindor. Ginny had to sympathize with the Ravenclaw in a way, however. When Harry had tired to break-up with her for her own protection, she was devastated. She went into a hissy fit until Harry came to his senses. If it really had ended for good, well, she probably wouldn't be much better than the seventh year. When Harry had tried to end it, she brought up his second year (her first) when he had saved her life from Tom Riddle. Knowing that he was the reason for her existence always made them remember how lucky they were to be living and to have each other. It was a bond that only they shared. _'Wait…that's it!'_

"I got it! Emolly, I got it!"

**Awe more fighting between our favorite couple :( On a plus side, how badass was Nielah in that chapter? Review if you liked it! Review if you hated it! Just review….please.**


	9. Reality Checks

**Big shout-outs to Duckie, Panda-kins, Anonymous, and ImaRocketDog for reviewing! Seeing the email updates for reviews made my day! RxR!**

o.O.o

"I don't understand Gin. I taught the last lesson and you saw how well _that_ went."

"Just trust me on this one Neville, you need to teach Saturday's lesson. Besides, neither Luna nor I know how to do it. You're the only one that does and I think the Army would greatly benefit from learning how to do it."

"Do you realize how hard it will be for me to get the proper materials? To get them by Saturday…"

"I know you can do it Neville."

"This just seems ridiculous to me. Can't we wait and do this lesson after the holiday break? It's just so complicated-"

"What if I told you it would help you get Aubrielle back? You'd do anything to get her back, wouldn't you?"

Neville completely froze and looked his friend directly in the eyes. Hell, everyone knew he wanted Aubrielle back more than anything in his life. And yes, he would go to the end of the world to do so; she was absolutely worth it. If Ginny was telling the truth, and this could somehow help them get back together, he would do it. He would risk getting expelled so he could gain all the materials and he would break every school rule necessary to do so. She glared at him sharply. This was his best friend; he trusted her judgment and if Ginny thought this would work, than he would do it.

"I'll do it, but you have to help me get the supplies. That's the only way to make this happen on Saturday."

Ginny smirked at him mischievously and held out her hand towards the wizard to shake on the agreement.

"You've got yourself a deal Neville Longbottom."

(Saturday, November 1st)

The Gryffindor had dragged the desk to the front of the Room earlier that day and now he was nervously shaking behind it. He had all the materials set out in front of him, it had taken the wizard a great deal to acquire them all, and he was more prepared than ever. He just hoped that Ginny was right and that the day's lesson would make Aubrielle come to her senses. He looked over the materials again, for about the twentieth or so time today. The students started filling in the Room with curious expressions on their faces. They had been told the day prior that their wands would not be necessary for the day's lesson and instead to bring a scroll and quill. The members came in and Luna and Ginny ushered them to the rows of seats that the witches had set up. Once they all came in and got situated, Neville cleared his throat.

"Hey everybody. So I know you're all curious as to why you don't need your wands today and it's because you won't be learning a new spell. Instead, you will be learning how to make Doua Sansa. It's a reviving potion that can bring someone back to life even if they are a single breath away from death. If they have a pulse, they can be saved. I've made this potion once before and it actually saved the life of someone sitting in this Room…"

He trailed off as he lifted his head to look at Aubrielle. Her cheeks went pink when she realized that almost everyone was looking at her. Her normal hard exterior that she had towards Neville over the past couple days immediately softened and her eyes started to water.

'_Yes,'_ thought the wizard, _'she's thinking about it. She's thinking about it. This might work after all.'_

"I wanted you all to take notes today so that you wouldn't have to depend on your memory. Now, there are five ingredients to Doua Sansa: fluxweed, phoenix feather, dittany, moondew, and dragon blood…"

As Neville went through the procedure of how to make the potion, Aubrielle found her mind wandering back to her sixth year when Neville had saved her life. She had a flashback and Theo Nott's piecing eyes came into her head. He had hurt her so badly and she subconsciously reached her hand up and touched her chest. Her wound had healed marvelously but she still had a bit of permanent discoloration and an embarrassing scar. She rarely showed it to anyone and Neville and Nielah were the only ones who really knew about it besides her mother. She started feeling emotional as she reminisced about how devastated Neville had been when he saw her crumpled and barely breathing. By the way he had described it to her, she was extremely lucky to be alive. Madame Pomfrey had confirmed Neville's story, saying that she should have been dead, and Aubrielle's entire outlook on life changed. She was grateful to be alive and, when she was with Neville, she knew that every day with him was a pure blessing. She looked up at the wizard teaching the lesson and felt a single tear trail down her cheek. She still loved him, since love wasn't an emotion that one can just wash away in a matter of days, and she owed her life to him. She watched through glassy eyes as Neville grinded the ingredients together in the large wooden bowl. He was teaching enthusiastically as the students wrote down every word that came out of his mouth. The Ravenclaw couldn't help but smile at him as he showed the members the bowl. He was so proud of his Doua Sansa and she knew why. It was the potion that had saved his dream witch's life and he had done it solely by himself.

His dream witch; that was what he had always called Aubrielle. He always made it apparent to her how much she meant to him. He loved calling her pet names, like love, baby, or sweetheart and instead of calling her hot or sexy, he always used words like beautiful, gorgeous, or stunning. Aubrielle felt like pounding her head against the wall. He was such a gentleman and most girls would kill to have a guy care about them the way Neville cared about her. He was everything she could ever ask for in a man and she had broken up with him. She had pushed him out of her life right when she needed him the most. Her lips were quivering as the reality check smashed into her like a flying Bludger_. 'I'm such an idiot! How could I let him go! How could I walk away from my rock?' _ She started analyzing their relationship ending argument in her mind. She let out a low moan as she replayed the day over and over again. He was sorry, he was _really_ sorry, and all she did was continue to yell at the Gryffindor. She had even insulted his courage! Why had she been so harsh on him anyway? All because he was simply being a boy? She held her forehead as the emotion rushed through her. The seventh year finally saw the thing that everyone else had tried to show her. She was lost without Neville. Sure, Aubrielle could be an independent girl, but she was so much better when she was with Neville. Hell, there was a war hanging over her heads and if now wasn't the time to be with the ones they loved, well she didn't know when was.

She quietly pushed back her chair and Emolly gave her a worried look. The Ravenclaw was softly crying and the Slytherin was anxious to know what was happening. On one hand, she wanted to be there and console her friend but on the other hand, she really didn't want to deal with another Aubrielle break down. Aubrielle gave her friend a light, genuine smile, and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I can do this myself," before quietly walking out of the Room.

Not even realizing that she had left, Neville finished up the lesson and smiled to everyone as he showed them his batch of Doua Sansa. The members applauded after finishing up the rest of their notes and the wizard gave them a slight bow. There was a sudden increase in noise as the students rolled up their parchments and broke into conversation about the day's evening plans. Ginny walked up to Neville and gave him a pat on the back.

"Good job Neville."

"Did it work? Do you think it'll help everything?"

"It definitely worked Neville. I was watching her the entire time. I saw it in her eyes. She never stopped thinking about you."

Neville's face lit up with hope. "Where is she now? Should I go talk to her?"

"She walked out, crying, about ten minutes ago. She probably needs a shoulder to lean on…"

Ginny got quiet and winked at him. He took the hint and walked out of the Room. He let the doors disappear behind him and soon there was silence. He slowly wandered down the hallway, keeping his ears open for the sounds of crying, and gravitated towards the cove where he and Aubrielle had their first fight. He stopped short when he heard a soft whimper. She was right there and he wanted nothing more than to run to her and wrap her in his arms. He knew it wasn't that simple, unfortunately, so he approached cautiously. She heard someone coming and stiffened. She slowly slid her wand out of her pocket and gripped it tightly. She pointed it towards the opening of the cove and jumped as she saw Neville come into view. He immediately shot his hands up in defense and to show her that he meant no harm. She quickly lowered her wand but she didn't lower her guard. Oh no, that was still kept high.

Neville looked at her hopefully before speaking.

"Can…can I sit down?"

The Ravenclaw moved over on the stone bench, making room for the Gryffindor. He sat down and put his hands in his lap. They were literally itches apart and he desperately wanted to reach out and touch her. Run his fingers through her hair, brush them against her cheek…

"I'm s-sorry."

The words came out her mouth so quickly that they startled him. He turned to look at her but she was staring at the ground. She inhaled deeply before continuing.

"I'm sorry. I was so stressed from school and the war and the Army…that hearing that, hearing that you told Dean and Seamus those things…well it put me over. Now I realize that I was just being over dramatic-"

"No you weren't Aub-"

"Let me finish."

He shut his mouth and she took a deep breath. He wanted her back so badly that he would do anything she told him to. He sat there patiently with his heart pounding in his chest. The witch turned to look at him and his breath hitched. Her hazel eyes were glistening from the moisture in her eyes and her lips were barely parted. In other words, she was beautiful even when she was crying and Neville wanted to just lean over and kiss her. It took all his will power to not do so and he waited for her to finish her thought.

"I was being over dramatic. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Neville, I love you. I love you so much and I can't go through this school year without you. _I can't go into this war _without you. I know that I put us both through Hell and I can't say it enough…I'm so so so… sorry. I-I want you back Neville. I understand if you're mad at me and you don't want to…"

Neville was shaking on the bench. She wanted him back! She wanted them back together and he could barely contain himself. He had been fighting the urge for far too long and his instinct took over. He quickly reached his hand out, cupped her face, and kissed her. The second their lips connected it felt as if electric shocks were shooting through his body. He had missed the feeling so much that he wanted to stay in the position forever. He pulled away but left his lips dangerously close to hers. He spoke to her in a whisper and the brushing of his lips sent Aubrielle's head reeling.

"I love you Aubrielle and I want you back too, more than anyone could ever know. Listen, you are by far the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'll go to Hell and back before I let you slip away again. I promise to do whatever it takes to make us-"

But he was cute off by Aubrielle's lips. She pounced on him out of nowhere, but to be frank, Neville wasn't complaining. The Ravenclaw knew right there that they were going to get through this and she couldn't help herself. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck and Neville soon had his arms circled around her waist. They broke for air and rested their foreheads against each other. Aubrielle spoke in a dreamy trance but there was still spark behind her voice.

"Neville Longbottom, will you please be my boyfriend again?"

He was only too eager to reply, "Yes…yes…yes…"

And before he could even think; they were snogging again.

(Sunday November 2nd)

Aubrielle moved back into the Room of Requirement the following day but she wasn't quite ready to start sharing a bed with Neville again. So for the time being she was back with Emolly and the two witches continued to have their little sleepovers. The wizard completely understood the Ravenclaw's caution and he was just glad to have her back as his girl again. After the couple came back into the Room the day before, holding hands, the atmosphere lifted immediately. Emolly and Ginny beamed at each other and high fived, ecstatic to know that their plan had worked.

Now, Aubrielle was sitting on her double cot with a hairband in her mouth. Nielah was situated on the floor by her feet and the seventh year was French braiding her younger sister's long locks. Aubrielle's nail polish was chipped but Neville could still see the flecks shine a pearly pink. She deftly wove her fingers through the fifth year's dark hair, creating a beautiful braid. She took the elastic out of her mouth and tied off the end. She patted her sister on the shoulder and Nielah stood up and used her portable mirror to inspect Aubrielle's work.

"Looks good Aubs. Thank you."

"No problem Nie." 

The younger witch went off to work on some schoolwork and Neville took the girl's absence as his moment to just sit and talk with his girlfriend. _'Girlfriend.' _He always got giddy when he reminded himself that they were together again. He walked over to the cot and sat down next to Aubrielle. She turned and smiled at him before giving him a small peck on his clean-shaven cheek. He took her hand and held it in his; lacing their fingers together. The Ravenclaw rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and sucked in the moment. She felt whole again, like the other half of her heart was finally working properly. Aubrielle had definitely learned the meaning of, 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' over the past couple of days. She promised herself to never act on impulse again.

"I'm sorry Neville."

"Aubrielle, do you realize how many times you have said that in the last two days?"

"A lot…" 

"And what do I say every time you repeat yourself?"

"That everything is fine, that you love me, that I should stop blaming myself-"

"Exactly. So for the love of Merlin Aubrielle, would be please stop saying that?"

The Ravenclaw looked up at him warily, she still felt absolutely terrible but if he wanted her to stop, she would.

"O-okay. Sorr-"

"Aubrielle!"

They both started chuckling and Neville placed a gentle kiss on his girlfriend's temple. He had wanted to ask her something since the day before and alone time was rare so he decided to take this opportunity to do so.

"Hey, love, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Aubrielle smiled when she heard the pet name. It gave her little twitches in her stomach.

"What made you change your mind? Why did you suddenly decide to take me back?"

The witch snorted and leaned into him again, "Well first off, I just want to let you know that the second I broke up with you, I regretted it. I wanted to run after you and take it all back but I didn't want to seem like I was weak. I thought the break would be good for us but I was wrong. You're my rock. How does someone function with their rock gone? Anyway, I was miserable without you. And then that lesson yesterday…the one about Doua Sansa…it made me remember Theo. It made me remember that day in the Quidditch locker rooms and my wounds. It made me remember the pain I was in and my body giving up. It made me remember how you saved my life." She looked up at him seriously. "If it weren't for you Neville, I would be dead and you know it. It made me think about how lucky I am to have you in my life. With everything that's going on, with this war that is nearing everyday, I thought it would be easier to be on my own so I could concentrate. I just thought that a relationship would be too distracting. But now I see. I don't know how many days I have left. If this war were to hit us tomorrow, I don't know if I would make it out alive. It's better that I'm with you, to show you how much I love you. If I were to die next week-"

"Please don't say that."

"But it's true! If I were to die next week, I want to spend every waking moment with the people I love. I love you Neville and I need you."

He swiftly wrapped the witch up into his arms the second he saw her eyes water up. She buried her face in his chest as the reality hit them both. It was evident that a war was heading towards them but what wasn't so foreseeable was who would make it out alive or dead.

**Well to be honest, I'm not sure if I like the chapter or not. Hmmmmmm critique would be very appreciated. Review for a chunk of the next chapter!**


	10. Sleeping with the Enemy

**I GOT 5 REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! :D I know it may not seem like a whole lot, but it really is for me. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! :) Well, Emolly comes back into this one…and in a big way. RxR!**

o.O.o

Ginny marveled at how quickly Aubrielle and Neville fell back into their old routine. Sure, they had only been split up for about 5 days, but it was still a nasty 5 days to say the least. They had fought verbally and physically and Ginny knew for a fact that they both had some sort of anger built up towards each other. But with those two, with Neville and Aubrielle, their love for each other was stronger than their problems. Yes, Ginny marveled at how quickly it happened, but she wasn't surprised.

(Sunday, November 9th)

It was pitch black in the Room of Requirement and Aubrielle could just barely make out the whites of her boyfriend's eyes. He was cradling her in his arms, happy that she was sleeping in his bed for the first time since they got back together. It was somewhere around midnight and they were the only ones that were still awake. She was running her fingers through his shaggy hair; he really needed a good haircut, while he was running his hands slowly up and down her back.

"What's your Patronus again?"

"A fox."

"Fox… right. I need to remember that one."

"Mhmm. What's your Patronus?"

"I don't know; I've never made one."

He stopped rubbing her back. "What? You've never made one?"

"No. "

"Well, I guess that makes sense since I learned how to make mine in the original Dumbledore's Army."

"I wonder what mine will be."

"Well it usually represents the witch or wizard's personality. Luna's is a rabbit, which fits her perfectly, Ginny's is a horse, Emolly's is a hummingbird-"

"Wait, you've seen Emolly's Patronus? I haven't even seen her Patronus." 

"I was in here one time practicing mine and I had no idea she was watching. Then she showed me her's and she, without a doubt, showed me up. Her's is flawless."

"Sounds like Emolly. She's quite the charms nerd."

"That's what she told me."

Aubrielle stiffened a little. Neville had talked to her? When? And why hadn't he told her? It wasn't that big of a deal but she had always figured that she would be around when they really talked to each other for the first time.

"You talked to her?" 

"Yeah. We had a good conversation. It was just a 'get to know each other better' type thing. We talked about you…mostly."

"Really? What did she say?"

"Well she told me that if I ever put my hands on you in a threatening way ever again, she would single handedly kick my ass."

Aubrielle giggled as she heard the trepidation in the Gryffindor's voice. That sounded like Emolly. Everyone sees her pretty and dainty exterior and assumes that she's a weak threat. When in reality, she was the most powerful witch Aubrielle knew and she was smart enough to never underestimate her best friend. Neville pulled the Ravenclaw in tighter so that she was flush against his chest.

"Emolly scares me a little."

"She means well though and I love her for it. I would so anything for that witch and I figure she feels the same way about me."

"Oh she definitely does."

(Monday, November 10th)

Aubrielle sat at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall the next morning, picking at her breakfast. She had her head slumped over to the side and Nielah was practically asleep at the spot across from her. The younger Song sister kept jerking her head up whenever her chin hit her chest and Aubrielle could tell that she wasn't going to make it through all of her classes. Luna lightly shook her shoulder, trying to keep her awake. If one of the Carrows were to come walking by and see her dozing off, well, she'd be punished immediately.

"Nie, you need to stay awake."

"I'm trying…"

"Try harder. I don't want you to miss tomorrow's lesson because one of the Carrows gave you detention for sleeping during a meal. Trust me when I say this, tomorrow's lesson is extremely important."

"Ok, ok, ok. I'm up, I swear."

Luna looked at her warily. She had mentally adopted Nielah as her younger sister and she was just trying to look out for her and that included keeping her out of trouble. Meanwhile, Aubrielle perked her head up when she spotted a blonde Slytherin walk into the Great Hall and towards her house's table. The witch knit her brows together in worry as she saw the nervous look on Emolly's face. The Slytherin was biting her lower lip and frantically darting her eyes around the room. She sat down at the very end of the bench and hung her head. Aubrielle could see that she was visibly upset about something and she wanted nothing more than to run over to her and comfort her. Stupid rule that didn't allow outer house communication. She looked at her best friend, mentally begging her to lift her head up so she could see her eyes. Emolly kept her eyes down, however, and continued to stare at her lap. The Ravenclaw could still make out the tears that were falling off her freckled cheeks. Suddenly someone came and sat down next to the blonde witch. Aubrielle watched in horror as the wizard slung his arm casually around the girl. Emolly stiffened a little but fell into the boy's chest, just like she use to. Blaise Zabini took one of his long fingers and brushed a tear off the witch's face. She looked up at him slowly and forced a smile. Aubrielle felt the anger boil inside of her as she witnessed Blaise lean down and kiss Emolly while simultaneously sliding his hand under the table and most likely up her skirt. Emolly pulled away and Blaise's face turned dark. He whispered something into her ear, causing the seventh year's eyes to widen, before kissing her again. This time, she didn't move as his hand roamed under the concealment of the tabletop. Aubrielle's jaw dropped as she watched the scene. It was so wrong to see them together, canoodling, and Aubrielle had a burning suspicion that something else was happening under the surface. The food disappeared off the plates, signifying that students had to leave for their first class, and Aubrielle kept her eyes on her best friend. She felt like screaming when she saw her grab the Italian's hand and leave the Hall with him. The Ravenclaw stomped away, furious at her friend. How could she go back to the git who raped her! Was she mental! The Ravenclaw promised to confront her friend about this as soon as possible. This was so insane that it couldn't be real.

o.O.o

Later that day, in Herbology class, Aubrielle overheard Daphne Greengrass whispering to Gregory Goyle. They were trying to be sneaky but both of the Slytherins had loud mouths and a tendency to spread gossip.

"Can you believe he's back with _her_? That slut?"

"Yeah, I can believe it. He's been eyeing her all year. Haven't you noticed?"

Daphne furiously chopped away at the roots of some plants, creating loud clicks of sound every time her knife hit the wooden cutting board. "Yeah, I have noticed actually."

"Lay off it than Daph. I know you've been wanting the kid ever since he broke up with Emolly in fifth year but he's never taken a fancy to you and he never will."

"But why her! What does she have that I don't?" She groaned as she sliced the plant harshly. "I'm willing to open my legs too."

"I know you are Daphne. All the Slytherin boys know it…"

Goyle snickered at the Slytherin. Daphne was like that. While everyone simply called Emolly a slut, Daphne really was one. As far as Aubrielle knew, she had slept with almost every seventh year Slytherin at Hogwarts. Well, every one but Blaise evidentially. The wizard took his hand and ran it up her bare thigh and under her skirt. She didn't mind it at all; in fact, she loved it when boys gave her attention like that. Aubrielle felt like gagging when she saw him rub the witch's inner thigh. She focused back on the conversation, trying to sort out the whole thing in her head as well. Why _were_ they back together? It was a mystery to everyone. Aubrielle hated this. She despised everything about this because she knew that Blaise had ulterior motives that were keeping Emolly with him. That just had to be it.

o.O.o

The two Slytherins were the talk of the school since it was new and exciting gossip. Everyone noticed them together and most people were thrilled. When Emolly and Blaise were an item back in their fifth year, they were the poster couple for what a relationship should be. Only a select few knew the real truth behind their break-up. They had told everyone it was because of 'mutual differences' but Aubrielle knew the sick reality. It was because Blaise Zabini was a foul pig that liked to use girls like tissues.

The Ravenclaw rushed into the Room of Requirement after finishing her dinner early and was relieved to see that Emolly had gotten her note and was the only one in there. She was on the edge of her bed, holding her knees to her chest and crying. Aubrielle threw her bag aside and quickly ran to her best friend. The Slytherin immediately flung herself at Aubrielle and sobbed into her shoulder. The two witches sat still for a moment before either of them said anything. They both knew what the conversation was going to be about so Emolly started explaining before the Ravenclaw could ask any questions.

"I've wanted to talk to you all day Aubs. I've wanted to tell you. I know you're furious at me. I know you hate me right now. I-I hate myself."

"Why are you doing this to yourself Em? What were you thinking?"

"It's not that simple-"

"Then tell me! Please!"

The Slytherin stayed still. Blaise had told her not to tell anyone what had happened. He said if he ever found out he would…

Screw what he said. Aubrielle was her best friend and she would trust her with her life. She wasn't going to let Blaise run her being. Not again.

"H-he trapped me last night in the Slytherin Common Room after dinner. I-I had promised a sixth year that I would help them with their charms homework but it turns out that Blaise had paid them to lure me into the Common Room. H-he dragged me into his r-room…"

She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her words were choppy and she had to stop every once in a while to regain control of her emotions again before continuing.

"I fought against him. Told him he had no business talking to me but he wasn't going to hear it. H-he's been seeing me talking to other people. Non-Slytherins. It's making him upset and he told me I need to know my place at the school."

Another breath.

"Course I told him that my house turned against me after we broke up because of him so I felt my place wasn't in Slytherin anymore." She rolled up her shirtsleeve to reveal a deep bruise on her wrist. Aubrielle gasped as Emolly lightly rubbed the wound, wincing at the pain. "Then he grabbed me and threw against the wall. He called me a bitch, a slut, a…disgrace to the pureblood society."

A deep breath.

"He said that the only way I could redeem myself was if I got back together with him. I told him no. I told him I would rather go to Hell than be with him again! He held his wand to my head and told me he had no problem torturing me. He told me he would make me beg for death after he was done with me..."

Aubrielle shuttered at the words. Those were the exact same ones that Theo had said to her when he had used the Cruciatus Curse on her. She could only imagine what was going through her friend's mind when he had threatened her so severely.

"I started crying. I couldn't take it anymore. I thought this whole thing with him was over; I thought I was free from him, but I was wrong. He laughed at me and said I was a weak witch who would never get anywhere in life."

"Where was your wand Emolly?"

"I'm getting there. What he did next…that's what sent me off. He leaned down to my face and…spit on me. He actually spat on me. I went crazy. I whipped my wand out and let him have it. I blasted him back to the wall and bound him there. I made him feel my wrath Aubrielle."

She closed her eyes.

"Then he made me stop by yelling something at me. He told me he would…"

She stopped short and held on to the Ravenclaw tighter with her eyes still squeezed shut.

"He knows I've been talking to you again. He's been hearing people whisper about it and he's seen us in the library a couple of times. He told me he would hurt you if I didn't go back to him. He told me he would rape you, beat you, abuse you."

Silence. Another big inhale.

"So I told him okay. I told him I would go back to him as long as he stayed far away from you-"

Aubrielle sprang up off the cot and turned to face her friend. "No! No! Emolly it's not worth it! I'll never let him touch me! I can take care of myself and I don't want you getting hurt again. Please-"

"He'll find a way Aubrielle! I know he will! I can deal with this. Please just let me do it. I can handle myself-"

"NO! I won't let you!" Tears were now forcing their way out of the Ravenclaw's eyes. She couldn't believe that Emolly was willing to take all that pain for her. She would not let her best friend get tortured and raped on a daily basis just so she could be safe. No way in Hell… "You're being ridiculous Emolly! We'll all be able to protect you from him and I'll be safe too. Promise!"

"We'll? NO! We are not dragging anyone else into this!" 

"Well do you really think I'm not going to tell Neville about this? Or Luna? Or-"

"You can't! You can't say a word! It'll only make things worse!"

The blonde was on her feet now as well. She was sobbing again because she had her best friend screaming at her. She was going to be defiant about this though. She could handle being in an abusive relationship, at least she thought she could, but she would never be able to forgive herself if he hurt Aubrielle.

"Listen, I love you Aubrielle and I would do anything for you. So, I'm taking the hit for _your own safety_!"

The Slytherin walked over to her trunk and popped the lid open. She started shoving her uniform into it as well as her books and school supplies. Aubrielle stood there, flabbergasted, as she watched her friend pack. She was beside herself at this point. 

"No! No… no no no no no! Emolly I-I can't let you do this! No! What are you doing?"

"Packing. Blaise demanded that I sleep in the Slytherin dorms every night so he knows that I'm being 'loyal.' He thinks I've been staying in the Ravenclaw tower… I-I have to move back to the dorms. I can't stay in the Room of Requirement anymore-"

"But he'll rape you!"

"And he'll rape you if I don't do this! Aubrielle listen to me God Damnit!"

The brunette was dead silent as Emolly shut the lid on her trunk and closed the locks. She turned to look at her friend with her bloodshot eyes. They were both a mess, with their cheeks flushed and their eyes swollen. Emolly stepped to her friend and took both of her hands in her own.

"I've gone through this before. I've been with him and I've seen his possessive side and I know how to handle it. If I play along, if I pretend like I'm happy, he'll go easier on me. You, Aubrielle, are in an amazing relationship with a man who loves you. Hold on to that. I don't want this to tear you apart from Neville and I don't want to put this stress into your life. I shouldn't have even told you about Blaise in the first place but I knew that you would never forgive me if I didn't. I know you want to help and I know you want to make everything better and you can…by not doing anything. If you don't get involved, then it will be fine."

The blonde gave her friend a tight hug and faint smile. She grabbed her trunk and wordlessly rolled it out the Room and towards the Slytherin dorms. Aubrielle hit the cold floor and cried until someone found her lying there, depressed and alone.

o.O.o

Pansy gave Emolly a nasty glare as she entered her room for the first time in a little over a month. She quietly hung her robe up and unpacked her trunk, getting use to the idea that she was here for good. Daphne came in shortly after and grunted when she saw the blonde standing there.

"Look who's back. Queen whore herself. Couldn't stand not getting it in, huh?"

"Shut your bloody mouth Greengrass."

She smirked at Emolly, "Whoa. Look who got some bite to her bark. Maybe you are a Slytherin after all."

"I'm not a Slytherin because I'm a bitch like you Daphne."

The witch walked over to the blonde and forcefully turned her around. Pansy was close behind her, ready to back her friend up if she needed it. She glared at her through dark eyes and spoke to her through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm a Slytherin because I have drive. Because I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want and protect the ones I love. You're the type of person that gives Slytherins a bad reputation."

"How dare you-"

"Now, now ladies. Lets not get physical here. I'd like my girlfriend in one piece and two against one isn't really fair, now is it?"

All three witches turned to see Blaise leaning against the doorframe. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a cool exterior to him. He stood up straight and strutted towards them. He flashed a pearly smile to Emolly and held his hand out for her to take it. She was shaking as she raised her hand to meet his. He gripped it tightly, but not too tightly, and led her past the two fuming seventh years. Daphne practically had steam coming out of her ears as Blaise took the witch away and out of their room.

He intertwined his fingers in hers and led her up the opposite stairs that ended at the boys' dorms. He opened the door and she was instantly thankful to see Goyle lying in his bed. Maybe if other people were around, Blaise wouldn't hurt her as badly. He led her to his bed and told her to sit down while he went to open his wardrobe. He undressed in front of her and Emolly found herself appreciating his nicely sculpted body. No matter how evil the git was; you couldn't deny that he kept himself in shape. She just made sure to never show it to him or else he would absolutely get the upper hand, as if he didn't have it already. He turned to see her in her skirt and button up and frowned.

"Do you need shorts?"

"Y-yes."

He took out a pair of clean athletic shorts and tossed them on the bed. She slid them on under her skirt before unzipping it and taking it off. She undid her tie and the buttons of her white dress shirt so she had on only her camisole and bra. Blaise came back to the bed, shirtless, and pulled back the covers. Emolly neatly folded her clothes and set them on a chair in the corner of the room before joining the wizard in his bed. He was sitting up and reading the newest edition of the Daily Profit. She nervously slid in, unsure of what to expect, and was surprised when he lifted his arms so she could lay her head on his chest. She tentatively rested her head on him while he took his arm and wrapped it around her. He bent his head and kissed her on his forehead and she felt a cold shiver pulse through her. The words from the night before still rang in her ears and even though he was being a gentleman now, she knew it wouldn't last long. He finished reading the Profit and set it on his nightstand. Goyle was already snoring away and Blaise turned off the lamp that was sitting on his nightstand. He turned to his side and pulled Emolly tightly into his chest so he could whisper into her ear.

"Kiss me."

"O-ok."

She reached her head up and met his lips with hers. He put his other hand on the back of her head and pushed her closer to him. There once was a time when Emolly got butterflies whenever she kissed Blaise. Now, all she could do was be fearful of his possible actions. He pulled away and smiled at her, which creeped her out, and gently turned her over so that he could spoon her from behind. He wound his arms around her and was asleep within minutes. Emolly exhaled as she heard his breathing slow down and steady. This was too eerie for words. For a moment she contemplated slipping out of his bed and running back to the Room of Requirement where she could be safe with Aubrielle, but then she remembered what Blaise had told her. Instead, she stayed in his arms and slept with one eye open.

**Poor Emolly :( Review for a preview of the next chapter!**


	11. The Panther and the Hummingbird

**Hello readers. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I was literally bouncing up and down when I saw all the emails! You guys made my week :) So I know that this is a NEVILLE and AUBRIELLE fanfic, but Emolly is also very key to this story. For the next couple of chapters, she is going to be more prevalent but trust me…it needs to happen. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the update! RxR!**

(Tuesday, November 11th)

Emolly sprinted to the Room of Requirement and practically spat the password. The doors appeared and she quickly flung them open, happy to be away from Blaise and with her friends again. She knew she would pay for not telling him where she was going, but it was worth it in her mind. Aubrielle spun around to see her friend and wrapped her arms around the blonde in a vice grip hug. She started to tear up, happy to see her in one piece and unharmed. They stood still for a moment before the Slytherin pulled away to reassure her friend.

"Nothing happened…at all. Promise."

"Blaise didn't touch you?"

"Well I mean, I slept in his bed but we, well we cuddled, kinda."

The Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was that Slytherin bastard up to? He _cuddled _with her? What was he playing at? Aubrielle looked back at her friend to see a glimpse of hope in her eyes.

"Emolly, I know he may be putting on a charade right now…but you can't let it get into your head that he means well. He doesn't!"

"I know Aubrielle, trust me. I may have been in his bed last night but I stayed wide-awake all night. There was no way in Hell I was shutting my eyes."

Aubrielle had a small instance of relief. She needed to trust Emolly's judgment more because the witch really did have a solid head to her. The Slytherin smiled at her best friend but it faded quickly when Luna and Neville walked over to the duo and asked if Emolly could kindly come with them for a moment. At first, Emolly was worried that Aubrielle had told them about her situation with Blaise but she could tell by the look on the Ravenclaw's face that she had no idea what was going on either. Aubrielle shot her boyfriend a perplexed look but he simply smiled at her before kissing her on the cheek and walking away. The witch watched as the three seventh years talked in a corner of the Room for a little bit and then headed towards Ginny. The four of them stood there before Luna called the lesson to order.

"Alright everyone, settle down. Today's lesson is a very important and complex one so I need you to really listen. It's so difficult, in fact, that it will be in two parts. We will finish the lesson at this same time tomorrow."

The members shuffled in closer to Luna, nervous and excited to learn something so advanced. There were a couple of hushed whispers when they realized Emolly was standing with the instructors instead of with the students. She was standing there nervously, hating whenever the attention was on her. Luna cleared her throat and took a step ahead of everyone to properly take charge.

"Today will be your first step in creating your Patronus charm. The Patronus charm is difficult to make but once you master it, it can save your life. For those of you who do not know, your Patronus fights against dementours. The most advance form of a Patronus takes the shape of an animal or creature that is unique to the witch or wizard that casted it. That is what we are going to strive for. In order to create one of that caliber, you must think of a happy memory, the most powerful one you can think of. Now, I all know you guys are wondering why Emolly is up here with us. She is up here so she can show you her Patronus, since it is probably the best one I have ever seen in my life and it would be a great demonstration for you all to see. Emolly…if you would please."

The Slytherin stepped forward and smiled weakly at everyone. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply while recounting the first time she ever met Aubrielle. She grinned as the memory came back to her as if it were yesterday. She opened her eyes with a new sparkle in them and swished her wand in the air.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A wave of silver light beamed out of her wand and the students watched with their eyes wide. The light then transformed into a perfectly shaped hummingbird. Emolly kept her wand up as the bird darted around the Room and in between peoples' heads. They all laughed as the creature danced and fluttered around them. It flew back to it's creator and perched itself on the tip of her wand. She smiled at it and blew it a kiss before letting it slowly fade away. Once it was completely gone, the members erupted in applause and the witch gave a small bow. Luna gave her a little hug and let the clapping die down before talking again.

"Now, to create a Patronus of that complexity takes a lot of practice and dedication so I don't want you to get discouraged if you can not make one like that by the end of today because chances are, you won't. We simply want you to create the silver glow. Close your eyes and think of a memory and let it fill you up. When you think you have one strong enough, go to a spot in the Room and say, 'Expecto Patronum!' We'll walk around to help you out. Emolly, I want you to give advice too. Good luck!"

She clapped her hands together once and everyone broke away. Aubrielle had been waiting for this lesson for some time because she was extremely curious as to what her Patronus would be. She walked over to a corner of the Room and shut her eyes. What memory would be powerful enough? Singing in choir? No. Catching her first snitch? The memory came back to her vividly as she pictured her grasping the tiny winged creature in her hand. It had happened back in second year when she sealed the victory over a tough Slytherin team. She held her wand out as the memory flooded her brain.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A few wisps of silver light flooded out the tip of her wand but they quickly disappeared. She said the spell again, this time a little bit louder and with more force, but the same thing happened. She frowned, already getting discouraged. Neville had been watching her from a distance and decided to help his girlfriend out.

"Hey now, lift your head up. This is your first time with this spell. Tell me, what memory did you think of?"

Aubrielle turned to face the Gryffindor. She could tell that he was pleased with himself for knowing a spell better than her. Normally she was the one that had to help him out. After all, she _had _done Expelliarmus wordlessly and wandlessly.

"The first time I caught a snitch to win a game for Ravenclaw."

"And all you could produce were a few threads?"

Well since he put it _that_ way… "Yeah."

"Huh. You need a stronger memory than. You need to think of something that completely takes you back, where your entire body warms from the thought of it."

She nodded her head and sat down on the closest cot to concentrate. She shut her eyes and just breathed, hoping that something would come back to her. If catching her first snitch wasn't powerful enough than neither would singing or being declared the valedictorian in potions. She recounted the last couple years at school, trying to pick out memorable moments. She remembered the absolute pride she felt after following in her mother's footsteps and being sorted into Ravenclaw, but it didn't make her entire body tingle with happiness. She thought about getting O's on every one of her O.W.L.S and beating Hermione Granger in potions, but again, it wasn't a strong enough recollection. She moved on to sixth year and found points that stuck out to her. She grinned to herself, suddenly remembering one of the best nights of her life. Her entire body heated up and she could practically place herself there again. She opened her eyes and stood up, satisfied with her choice and turned to face her observing boyfriend.

"I think I've got a memory strong enough."

"Alright, give it a go."

She raised her wand and concentrated by closing her eyes. She let her mind get lost in the moment again and practically shouted the spell.

"Expecto Patronum!" 

She felt a strong vibration shoot through her arm and out her wand and she didn't even need to open her eyes to know that she done it.

"Aubrielle! LOOK!"

She opened her lids to see her boyfriend standing there in utter shock. It turns out that the memory was so powerful that it created a complete full body Patronus charm! Her jaw dropped as she watched the stealthy panther run around in mid air. There were large threads of silver light straying from it and casting off the Patronus as the animal explored the Room. Luna looked up to see what Neville was yelling about and felt herself growing a tad jealous of the witch's ability to pick up spells so quickly. She was happy for her, nonetheless, and congratulated her on her achievement.

"Well done Aubrielle! That's such an accomplishment!"

Neville stayed there with his mouth agape, "A _huge_ accomplishment! What memory did you think of?"

Aubrielle turned to her boyfriend, letting the panther fade away so he would look at her, and smirked at him.

"The night you asked me to be your girlfriend."

o.O.o

"Why couldn't I do it?"

"What are you talking about Nielah? You were able to make a Patronus today!"

"But I couldn't make an _animal_!"

The fifth year was pouting on her cot later that night with her arms crossed over her chest. She had been able to accomplish a Patronus shield, but not a full body one. Being the perfectionist that she was, Nielah was not pleased. Neville was sitting next to her, trying to reassure her that she had made immense progress. Meanwhile, Aubrielle was lying down on the cot she use to share with Emolly with tears lightly streaking her cheeks. She was curled up in a ball, wishing that her friend were with her again. As soon as the lesson was over, Emolly had to sprint out of the Room so she could get back to Blaise as soon as possible. She said that the less she was gone, the less trouble she would get in. Neville looked over at the Ravenclaw worriedly and got up to walk over to her. He sat down on the edge of the bed and lightly placed his hand on her back.

"What's wrong Aubrielle? Why isn't Emolly here?"

"I-I can't t-tell you."

"Did you two get into a fight?"

"No."

"Then why isn't she here?"

"She's sleeping in the d-dorms again."

"Why?"

"Just stop asking questions Neville!" 

She snapped at him suddenly and he took his hand off her back. It was obvious that she wasn't going to give him any answers and she wanted to be alone. He kissed her on her temple before heading back to his spot. He prepared for bed alone, leaving his upset girlfriend to fall asleep on the large and lonely cot.

o.O.o

Blaise angrily threw down the newest Daily Profit as he saw Emolly rush into the Slytherin Common Room. She knew he would be upset with her so she had planned ahead. He had told her that morning what he wanted for that night and as much as she hated being his little slave, she had to be one for her own protection from his anger.

"Where the Hell have you been? You know what, never mind."

He stood up from his seat and walked to her. He grabbed her forearm tightly, despite her whimpers, and dragged her up the stairs to his room. A feeling of doom washed over her as she realized the room was unoccupied.

"I- I had to go see a friend for something."

He quickly turned around and forcefully pinned her up against the wall. His face was so close to hers that their noses were practically touching.

"I told you that you weren't allowed to see your friends anymore."

'_Shit,_' she thought, _'wrong answer. Think of something, think of something!'_

"But I did it for you!"

"For me!"

"Please, Blaise, let go of me so I can show you."

He looked at her suspiciously, "Fine. But if you make one false move, you'll pay for it."

She gulped as he put her back on the ground and let go of her forearms. He took a step backwards and pulled out his wand, just in case she ran for it. She closed her eyes and nervously reached for the clasp of her robe. She hated giving the asshole the satisfaction of obeying him, but it was the only way to stop him from abusing her. She always kept Aubrielle in her mind too, picturing what he would do to her friend if she didn't follow directions. Her fingers shook as she fiddled with the metal but she finally got it undone. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as her robe fell to the ground. She heard Blaise grunt as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a satin green pushup bra and matching boy short style kickers. The skimpy outfit was topped off with black pumps, which she knew Blaise liked. Earlier that day Blaise had blatantly told her that he expected her to look her best tonight. And by that, he meant that she was expected to have sex with him. She put on a brave face as he stepped closer to her and pulled her into his chest. He bit her neck harshly which caused her to flinch, and roughly ran his hands over her body.

"I knew you'd come around Emolly."

He tore at her bottoms and ripped them clear in half. She shrieked as he picked her up and threw her on the bed. He quickly undressed himself and jumped on top of her. He pinned her hands above her head and continued to have her way with her while she pretended to enjoy herself.

(Wednesday, November 12th)

The students were already working on day two of the Patronus lesson when Emolly came in late. Nielah was in the corner, screaming the spell and thinking that it would aid her in making an animal, while Ginny was trying to help her and calm her down. Aubrielle was attempting to improve her panther but it quickly vanished when she saw her best friend in tears. She rushed over to her, scared after seeing her appearance, but Emolly stepped away when Aubrielle went to hug her.

"Don't. M-my arms…"

"Emolly…is everything okay? You're late-"

"I know I'm late Aubrielle!"

"Okay, but I just want to make sure you're fine."

The more the Slytherin looked at her friend, the more emotional she got. She finally sat on the ground and let the tears come, knowing that there was no way in Hell she would be able to hold them in. The Ravenclaw came and knelt down next to her friend.

"Emolly please…lets go sit on the bed and talk there. You're in the middle of the Room."

The blonde just sat there, shaking her head. Aubrielle pointed her wand at her friend.

"Levicorpus."

She raised her wand so Emolly hovered about three feet above the ground. Aubrielle walked next to her while transporting her to the cot. They reached the corner of the Room and the brunette set the witch down gently on the sheets. Aubrielle put her wand away and sat down next to her.

"Talk to me, please."

The Slytherin put her head in her hands and leaned into Aubrielle's shoulder. The latter put her arm around her friend protectively as she felt herself choke up. She didn't want her friend hurting like this. She didn't deserve it in the slightest.

"Emolly…"

"He raped me, okay? He raped me and it hurt so badly."

"I'll kill that git!"

"No, no I pretended like I enjoyed it so he wouldn't full out abuse me too. It's really my fault."

"No it is not! Emolly you should get out of that right now! I don't want you going on like this! Tell a teacher; you could get him expelled or something-"

"I don't want you to get hurt-"

"TO HELL WITH THAT."

"What's going on here?"

Neville was walking towards the duo with a concerned look on his face. Aubrielle looked from her best friend to her boyfriend, wanting to tell him everything. Emolly lifted her head up and gave the Ravenclaw a threatening look.

"N-nothing. I can handle it."

The Gryffindor stayed rooted to the ground, knowing something was terribly wrong. He had never seen Emolly cry before and he had feeling she didn't do so often. Aubrielle just glared at him.

"I can handle it."

"Okay. Okay, fine."

He slowly ambled away and looked for a kid to help. Aubrielle turned back to Emolly, who had stopped crying and was whipping under her eyes.

"Please let me tell him!' 

"NO! No! Please Aubrielle, for the love of Merlin, don't try and be the hero."

"I'm not trying to be the hero Em! I'm trying to be your best friend…"

"And I'm trying to be yours by making sure that you don't become a victim of Blaise's anger and brutality!"

The words rang in Aubrielle's ears and she took a deep breath, letting some silence linger before talking again.

"Listen, I don't want to fight with you. Okay? Lets just talk like two mature, young women." Emolly nodded her head. "Now, tell me what happened."

"It's like I said…he raped me, but I let him do it."

"Details-"

"Earlier that morning he had told me that he wanted me dressed sexy for that night. He told me to 'look perfect for him or there would be consequences.' So I put on an old outfit for him that he use to like when we were dating back in fifth year. I use to love wearing it because I felt so sexy in it. Now I just feel like a piece of trash…"

Aubrielle felt the sting of tears building up in her eyes and she brought her friend closer to her. She had this battle going on in her head and she didn't know what side to choose. She wanted to tell Neville about Emolly's situation so badly to let him in on what was happening. If he knew, he would side with her and he could help her deal with Blaise and end this thing for good. However, if she told Neville, she knew that Emolly would get furious with her because she had specifically told her not to tell him. But was she really going to just stand there and let Emolly take the abuse? She weighed both options in her head, looking at both the pros and cons. What do you do when your best friend is hurting but doesn't want you to help her?

**What do you think Aubrielle should do? It's not an easy decision, huh? Review please and get a preview of the next chapter!**


	12. Detention

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who is reviewing. It means so much to me, truly. Here is a new update! RxR!**

(Sunday, November 16th) 

The battle raged on in Aubrielle's head as the week ticked by. Emolly made sure to tell her everyday to not say a word to Neville either, which caused the conflict in her mind to worsen. Emolly still told her everything about Blaise, about how sex was pretty much the height of his control over her and that he actually hadn't physically abused her…yet. The Ravenclaw still kept her eyes on the Italian asshole like a hawk with the secret intention to hex him into oblivion if he hurt her best friend in front of her.

The Army was getting complicated with the upcoming holiday break. For one, about 7 members were planning on going into hiding with their families during the break, which meant that their numbers were dwindling. There were a good amount of members staying at the school for the break, however, so they would have plenty of free time to sharpen and perfect their spells. On top of that, it would be good to just spend time with their friends since they didn't know exactly how much time they had left. The only person that Aubrielle really missed was her mother. She missed getting advice from her about things, especially when she was on her break from Neville. Sure, her mother was never really home much anyway because of her job at the Ministry, but it was even worse with the death eaters ruling the school because the students weren't allowed to take the occasional and cherished weekend trips home. Her mom also wasn't allowed at the school, no parents were, and had no reason to come anyway since Quidditch was no longer allowed. She didn't hear a lick of news from her either, which made her worry, but her mind was soon put at ease. One Sunday morning, while Aubrielle was helping out in the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey pulled her aside.

"Ms. Song, I have something for you. Last weekend I absolutely had to go into Hogsmeade to buy more medical supplies; it's the only thing that Headmaster Snape lets me leave the castle for, and I ran into your mother. She gave me this and she asked me to give it to you. I would have given it to you sooner but I forgot."

She held out a tightly folded piece of paper with a single string tied around it. Aubrielle gladly accepted the note and stuffed it into her robe pocket. She would read it later in the safety of the Room of Requirement along with Nielah. She smiled at the elder witch kindly and thanked her for the information.

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey."

"Sure thing dearie."

o.O.o

Aubrielle and Nielah were sitting on the latter's cot, staring at the piece of parchment. They were skeptical about opening it, unsure if it was good or bad news. Nielah finally mustered up the courage to read it and she slid the string off the paper. Her hands were shaking a little as she opened the letter up. She cleared her throat before reading it out loud.

_My dearest daughters,_

_ I know you are both intelligent girls so I understand that you know the state of the wizarding world right now. As it turns out, the Ministry is starting to do blood tests and punishing anyone who is anything less than a pureblood. Obviously that is a problem for me since, as you know, I am a half blood. I wrote this note to inform you that I am going into hiding. Please do not worry or fret about me for I can guarantee you that I am safe. You needed to know, though, so here it is in writing. To not sound cowardly, I am informing you that I am still active in my resistance group and we will fight when this whole thing explodes._

_ I hope you two are doing well in school and that life isn't too terrible. Please be safe with everything you do and look out for each other. I have all the faith in the world that you two can make it through this. Hold those that you love close to you during these times. I want you to both stay at the school, even though it is being run under death eater control, simply because I know that the students are safe there. Keep your heads high girls._

_ I love you both so much. XOXO_

_ Love, Mum_

Nielah finished and the sisters were silent for a moment, taking in the words that were written on the parchment. Their mother was going into hiding and they had no clue where she was. She could be in mainland Europe or even Asia for all they knew. If the Ministry is doing blood status tests, then that meant that most Aubrielle's family on her mother's side were in danger as well. Aubrielle could hear her kid sister choke back tears and she instinctively brought the fifth year into her chest. Nielah buried herself in her older sister's robe and clung to the fabric like a lifeline. She was sixteen now but she was still the youngest Song girl and while she tried to mask her fear, Aubrielle knew better. The seventh year scooted back on the bed until she could rest her back against the wall, dragging her sister with her. Nielah still gripped to her unmercifully and clung her to clothes. Aubrielle started humming the lullaby that their mother use to sing to them when they were little. Aubrielle could feel Nielah growing drowsy and soon the tears stopped and she was asleep on her sister's lap.

(Tuesday, November 18th)

Aubrielle absolutely dreaded going to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her only saving grace in that class was the fact that Neville was in the same period as her. Neville and the professor had a very strained relationship, however. Neville usually disagreed with the lessons and therefore, he never held his tongue. It got him in trouble frequently, but he had always managed to stay strong. Half the time he didn't tell anyone either because he didn't want his friends stressed about him. Aubrielle was usually quiet and did as she was told. The spells were nothing too severe, yet, and since the class was mostly made up of Army members, they all knew where her true support was.

She walked into the classroom and sat at her usual desk next to Padma Patil. The class was divided by the houses, but Neville and Aubrielle were able to sit at the divider line so they were as close as they possibly could be. At the front of the classroom was the teacher's desk as well as a large fighting platform for demonstrations and duels. The most nerve-wracking thing about the class was that Carrow picked who fought whom at random. He would strut into the room, point at two people and yell, "You two! Platform! NOW!" and that was the end of that. If anyone argued, it was the threat of detention. Today was no different in that aspect, except for when the teacher picked the two students, Aubrielle's heart leapt out of her chest.

"Song! Longbottom! I believe you two have not fought each other yet…"

'_You have no idea…_' thought the witch as she nervously stood up from her seat and sulked onto the large, wooden stage. She turned to face Neville, who was equally as terrified, as the professor came up dangerously close behind her. He leaned down so his mouth was towards her ear and whispered to her.

"Your spell to use is…"

He always did this. He would go up behind a student and whisper a curse in their ear and they had to perform it or else they would wind up in detention. It was unjust and unfair, considering that the opponent had no idea what was coming at them. She took a deep breath as he dragged out the suspense.

"Incarcerous."

The Ravenclaw's breath hitched in her throat as he told her the spell. The memory of her binding Neville and cursing him instantly flooded her head and she felt a wad build up in her throat. She stood there, looking at her boyfriend, frozen. Her wand was still at her side and her arm felt like a dangling cinderblock. She shook her head, no, and stayed rooted at her spot. Neville's eyes widened as he saw her hesitation and there was a collective gasp from the rest of the students. She knew the consequences and she knew that he would, of course, forgive her for hurting him, so why was she being stubborn about this?

"No?"

The professor came in front of her and towered over her. She shook her head again and the frustration soon creeped into Carrow's cheeks. Neville took a single step closer with a puzzled look on his face.

"It's okay Aubrielle. I can take it."

She shook her head again and her eyes started to sting with the formation of tears. She had history with this spell and this opponent. The last time she had used this curse had resulted in the end of their relationship. It was too sensitive of a spell for her and she didn't care about the punishment. All she could imagine was her yelling and screaming at the Gryffindor. She was going to hold her ground for once.

"No."

"I'm going to give you a warning Song. Raise your wand right now."

"Aubrielle please do it-"

"No!"

"Please Aub-"

"No Neville! I'm not doing it!"

Neville was walking towards her now but stopped dead in his tracks when the teacher's hand made contact with her face. He stood there with a mix of emotions running through his body. He was shocked, furious, upset, and confused. Carrow had physically punished students before, Neville had a couple scars to prove it, but he had never done that to a female. Aubrielle touched her hand to her mouth as the taste of blood reached her tongue. She drew her hand back to see the red liquid running down her fingers. She looked up at her professor with tears now freely flowing down her face.

"I warned you, you filthy girl. That's what happens when you go against my teachings. Now, perform the spell."

Aubrielle's eyes narrowed, "No."

"You stubborn little-"

"Expelliarmus!" 

Just as the teacher was raising his wand at her face, it flew into the air and out of his reach. He angrily spun around to find Neville with his wand held high. How dare he defy him!

"Both of you, detention, tonight. I'll see you here at 8."

He stomped towards his wand and bent over to pick it up. He picked two new students to duel and they quickly took Neville and Aubrielle's spots. The Ravenclaw stepped off the platform and Padma immediately rushed over to her with a small towel. She held it gingerly to her mouth to help control the bleeding. Neville looked over at her, wanting to just run over and help her, but that would just cause more issues with Carrow. Dean came up behind him and gripped his shoulders tightly, begging him to relax.

"She's okay mate. She can handle a little blood."

"I want to kill him."

"Carrow?"

"Yeah. He hit a girl. _My_ girl. I want to kill him Dean."

"Calm down Neville. It's not worth it. You'll get your chance but now isn't the right time. It'll just make things worse."

The Gryffindor stood there, fuming, as he watched the teacher give the new students their spells. He watched as Parvati, crying, shot ropes out the end of her wand and started to 'gently' strangle Michael Corner. Now he understood why Aubrielle wouldn't do it and he couldn't blame her. He put his focus on her again and saw that most of the blood was gone, but her lip was swollen and red. He clenched his fists at his sides; detention was going to be interesting.

o.O.o

The classroom was dark and eerie without the usual amount of students. Aubrielle and Neville walked in moments apart from each other, to not seem like they went together since that was against the bloody rules, and Carrow lifted his head up when they both entered. He gave them both a disgusted grin, which caused chills to shoot up Aubrielle's spine. Neville looked unfazed.

"The stubborn cry baby and the defiant rule breaker, welcome to detention. I believe the latter is familiar enough but you, Ms. Song; you're in for a handful. Sit."

Both students did as they were told and the teacher walked out from behind his desk. He had his wand gripped tightly in his hand and there was a hint of blood lust in his eyes that freaked the Ravenclaw out.

"Curious, you two. It's curious that Neville would defend you so quickly, Ms. Song." 

Neville gulped as he caught on to what the death eater was saying. He was implying something; something that would get him and Aubrielle is some serious trouble. He caught a glimpse of her and noticed her hands shaking in her lap. She knew what was happening as well.

"Ms. Song, what's one of the most important rules at this school about the houses?"

"You're not allowed to talk to people out of your house…"

"Correct. So, why would Neville defend you if you're not allowed to talk to him?"

"We've been friends for almost a year professor."

"Friends? That's it?"

Her head was spinning as the teacher came closer to her. His face was only inches from her's as he bent down. He was beaming at her, a terrifying sight, and she fidgeted in her seat.

"I'm not dumb, dearie, and I know your little secret."

"There's no secret-"

Whack! His hand made contact with her face for the second time that day. Neville quickly stood up but Carrow pointed his wand at him threateningly until he sat down. The teacher turned and smiled at the witch.

"You're not fooling anyone you stupid girl."

He stepped back and looked between the two of them. Aubrielle was sweating with fear and she had no idea what Carrow was going to unleash on the two of them. He pointed his wand at Neville calmly and fired off a spell.

"Incarcerous."

The ropes quickly bound Neville to his chair and he was helpless. The teacher went over and took Aubrielle by her sweater collar and yanked her from her seat. She whimpered as he stomped up to the platform, dragging her behind him. He forcefully threw her to the ground and stood over her. She looked at him through angry eyes to find him pointing his wand at her.

"This is what you get for breaking so many rules you bitch. Crucio!"

"AHH!" 

Aubrielle screamed as the pain hit every bone and nerve in her body. She twisted and turned, praying that it would stop. Her chest started burning in pain and she could tell that her old wound was acting up.

"STOP PLEASE!"

Neville was screaming at the professor from his seat as he thrashed and fought against the ropes.

"She's been tortured before! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HER! STOP!"

The professor stopped and turned to Neville. He was panting from trying to break free of his confinements and his face was red with rage. His eyes were on his girlfriend, who was crying and curled into a tight ball. 

"You want me to stop?"

"Please, please, I'll do anything! Just…don't hurt her! She been cursed before and she almost died last time! Please!"

"Oh I know all about her little run in with Mr. Nott. Oh, I won't kill your precious half blood girlfriend. Oh no, she'll survive, just barely."

He turned around and pointed his wand back at the shaking witch.

"Crucio!"

"NO! STOP! STOP IT YOU BLOODY BASTARD!"

"CRUCIO!"

Aubrielle let out blood curdling screams as the teacher laughed at her. He was truly wicked, Carrow, and he was wholeheartedly enjoying himself.

"STOP! STOP! TORTURE ME! NOT HER!"

He drew his wand away again but Aubrielle kept whimpering and sobbing. She wanted to die. She was in so much pain and she just wanted it to all go away as quickly as possible. She was gasping for air and thrashing on the hard floor, trying to fight against the excruciating hex. Carrow stood over her for a moment, grinning proudly, before making his way to her boyfriend.

"What did you just say?"

"Torture me, not her. Please! You can do whatever you want to me but please…just let her be! Please-"

The death eater smirked and released Neville from his bindings. The Gryffindor immediately shot out of his seat and sprinted to his girlfriend's twisted and exhausted body. He knelt next to her and ran his hand over her cheek to wipe away the tears.

"Aubrielle-"

"Crucio."

Neville was quickly on his back as Carrow calmly recited the Unforgivable Curse. The wizard writhed on the ground as his professor stood above him. Aubrielle's eyes widened as she watched the horror in front of her. She wanted to scream out but there was no energy left in her body and she was fighting to stay conscious. All she could do was look at her boyfriend get tortured in order to spare her. She started crying harder as she saw his face twist into a picture of pure agony. Now she understood why Neville had been so beside himself when watching her. Neville was gasping and sputtering, now comprehending everything that Aubrielle had gone through not only moments ago, but last year as well. He gripped his shirt tightly, not knowing what to do, and could finally take a deep breath when Carrow released the spell. Neville was gasping for air and turned to look at his girlfriend. Her lids were heavy on her eyes and he could tell that she was going to lose consciousness soon. He reached out and took one of her hands in his and used the rest of his energy to give it a squeeze.

"Look at you two…lying there. A couple that gets tortured together, stays together, I guess. You're both pathetic."

He let out a maniacal laugh that echoed throughout the empty room and rang through the Ravenclaw's ears. He snapped his fingers and a frail house elf appeared. It was the one from the medical wing, Marbles, and it was trembling as it apparated into the room. Whenever one of the Carrows snapped their fingers, it was ordered to come immediately because it meant that students needed treatment. The elf, which knew Aubrielle well, looked at her limp body and started shaking harder.

"Y-yes Master C-Carrow?" 

"Get these idiots out of my sight. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will be delighted to have two new patients."

"Yes, M-Master Carrow."

Marbles went over to the two students just as Aubrielle's eyes closed and her body slipped out of consciousness.

o.O.o

Aubrielle woke up and went to turn to her side but quickly stopped when a sharp pain shot up her back. She let out a small yell and Madame Pomfrey came hustling to her bed.

"Shh, shh…it's okay Ms. Song. Don't move, it'll only make things worse."

She let out a long groan as she repositioned herself. The healer went to work on her wounds, new and old, and the Ravenclaw felt a powerful cooling sensation wash over her body. She shivered as it hit every inch of her being but before it got too intense, it stopped just as quickly as it started. She fell limp against her pillow and automatically reached her hand to her chest. She winced as she lightly lifted her gown up to see that it was nearly black in color. It looked as if there was a new wound on top of her existing one as she examined the various colors on her body.

"Don't touch it. It needs to heal on its own."

"Where's Neville? Is he okay?"

"He's right here."

Madame Pomfrey pulled back the curtain on Aubrielle's right to reveal her boyfriend. He was also lying on his back, but he was still asleep.

"What is the extent of his injuries?"

"He's a little worse than you but he'll be okay in due time. You both need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. I'm also bringing Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick down here tomorrow to talk to the both of you. This is the worse that Professor Carrow has hurt any student and I want you both dis-enrolled. If I remember correctly, you both did well enough on your O.W.L.S to get it wavered."

"Madame Pomfrey, no disrespect to you, but Neville is going to want to stay in the class. He's too stubborn."

"We'll see. But for now, I just want you both to get your rest."

**Whew. To be 100% honest, I wasn't planning on writing any of that. All of the sudden, I started typing and the words just flowed. Hope you enjoyed it! Review!**


	13. One Year

**THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. I know I always say it, but I truly mean it. You guys have no idea how giddy and happy I get whenever I read the email notices. So yes, Thank You. Also, Smut in this chapter. You have been warned! RxR!**

(Wednesday, November 19th)

Aubrielle and Neville were both sitting up in their cots in the hospital wing with several professors surrounding them. Professor McGonagall was there, as well as Professor Flitwick, Professor Carrow, and Madame Pomfrey. They were debating about the two seventh years' obligations to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and McGonagall was furious.

"You brought these kids to unconsciousness, Amycus, and that is absolutely unacceptable!"

"I simply was punishing them for their refusal to participate in class, Minerva. My tactics are reasonable."

"You used the Cruciatus Curse on them! That is not reasonable by any standards!"

Flitwick spoke up for the first time, "As Head of House for Ravenclaw, I have the right to pull my students out of classes if I feel they are in danger or do not need the course. Since Ms. Song received an O on her O.W.L. for Defense Against the Dark Arts, I am having her withdrawaled from the class, immediately. Obviously you have something against these two, since your punishment was so severe, and I will not have you torturing any of my students."

"Oh I have something against these two. They violated one of the most important rules set in place by the Headmaster."

"A rule that is completely foolish and unreasonable for an institute like this one!" 

"It is a rule nonetheless and I'll have you know that these two do more than simply talk to each other."

"For Merlin's sake, Amycus, who cares?" Professor McGonagall yelled at the professor, which took him by surprise. She had intentionally moved herself in between the two students and him as to show where her loyalties stood. As a matter of fact, she knew that Neville was in a relationship with Aubrielle because she had to separate them multiple times in the Great Hall last year for snogging. They were young and they loved each other and she would do anything to protect the couple. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Carrow.

"I want Neville taken out of your class as well."

"No."

Instead of hearing the rejection from Carrow, everyone spun around to face Neville. He was looking back at his Head of House boldly. The old witch looked confused.

"No, Mr. Longbottom?"

"No. I want to stay in the class. Period."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice-"

"No Professor, I do. I want to stay in the class. I need as much practice as I can,"

he turned to look at the death eater harshly, "even if it is ludicrous and unreasonable."

The adults all stood there, unsure of how to handle the situation. McGonagall admired Neville's courage, but was this really necessary? The seventh year turned his head to face his girlfriend. His eyes were watering as he took in her wounded appearance. She had a terrible fat lip and a dark bruise on her cheek, and that was just her face. He faced Carrow once more.

"That's what you want anyway, isn't it? To make sure that we can't see each other?"

The teacher didn't respond, but instead looked at Neville smugly. Of course that's what he wanted. He would rather have both students dead, truthfully, but the _precious_ professors of the school would likely unleash all their magic on him and that wasn't something that he _didn't_ want. Professor McGonagall looked at Neville and saw the sincerity in his face. He was going to be persistent about staying in the class and there was really nothing she could say to change his mind.

"If you are sure about this Mr. Longbo-"

"I am."

"Right. Then Mr. Longbottom will return to class next week. Ms. Song, as of now, is no longer enrolled in the class. Now, lets get back to our duties and leave Madame Pomfrey to attend to her patients."

The professors nodded to each other, understanding that that was the final word that was going to be said on the matter, before leaving the wing. Aubrielle let out an audible sigh and turned to look at her boyfriend.

"Must you always be so stubborn?"

"You knew I would insist that I stayed in the class."

"I know, but you couldn't push your pride aside just once? I don't want you to get hurt again."

She trailed off a little, looking at his scars and bruises. He saw the worry in her face and slowly flung the covers back before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He was still extremely sore and it took him awhile to move. Aubrielle moved over so she was close to the edge of her bed and there was room for Neville to get in. He made the short trip to her cot and cuddled down next to her. He opened his side up so she could snuggle with him and she gingerly put her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and started rubbing her back, like he normally did. Screw the rules, they had both been tortured not longer than a day ago and he was going to hold his girlfriend in his arms, house statuses be damned. Aubrielle closed her eyes after she found Neville's heartbeat and the rhythmic pulse put her in a dreamlike daze. She found her mind drifting and before she knew it, she was sleeping. Neville followed suit shortly after. Madame Pomfrey came by to check up on them one last time before finishing things for the night and smiled to herself when she saw the couple sleeping in each other's arms. She quietly closed the curtains, deciding not to wake them up, and didn't come back until the following morning.

(Saturday, November 22nd)

A couple things happened during the week that followed Professor Carrow's use of the Cruciatus Curse on Aubrielle and Neville. One, Aubrielle thoroughly enjoyed not having a morning period on Tuesday and Thursdays now, even though it meant she had no classes with her boyfriend. She was just elated to know that she would never have to have Carrow as a teacher again.

Neville, on the other hand, liked staying in the class because it meant that he could look out for the other Army members. Ever since he had become one the instructors for the Army, he became a sort of father figure to the rest of the students. He wanted to stay in Defense Against the Dark Arts to make sure that his friends were taken care of. The Ravenclaw found it extremely honorable, but she couldn't help but worry about him whenever he came back to the Room with a new bruise, scar, or swollen eye. Still, he insisted that he wasn't hurting that badly and so he decided to stay in the course.

Emolly stayed under the radar not only with the Army, but with the entire student body in general. She spent most of her time with Blaise, because he demanded that she be at his constant beck and call, but in return, she wasn't 'punished' as badly. She only went to the Room of Requirement whenever there was a new lesson so it surprised Aubrielle when she was at their review session on Saturday. What shocked her even more was that the Slytherin was talking privately to Luna and Ginny in the corner.

The three witches were by themselves, making sure that no one heard them. They were creating a very important plan for Tuesday and it was crucial that no one was able to eavesdrop. It would just ruin everything.

"So you know what Tuesday is, right?"

"Aubrielle and Neville's one year."

"What about their little break that they had for five days?"

"I talked to Aubrielle yesterday; they're not counting that."

Emolly, Ginny, and Luna were all looking at the couple in question. The pair was trying to help Nielah with her full body Patronus, but the fifth year was still unable to produce an animal. The three witches watched, amused, before turning back to their conversation. Emolly had been waiting for Aubrielle and Neville's one year for months, because she wanted to help make it special for the couple. When she had approached Ginny and Luna about it, they were only all too eager to help her. The toughest thing was making sure that all the Army members stayed out of the Room of Requirement for the night. As if reading her mind, Ginny asked the toughest question.

"How are we going to keep all the Army members out for a night?"

"Leave that to me," piped Luna, "I have an idea and I don't want you two worrying about it. Now, the bigger question, what exactly do we want to do? How do we want to set this up?"

"I want it to be a complete surprise for the both of them. I want it to be romantic and perfect." Ginny was grinning, thinking about the night that her friends were going to have.

"Dinner for two?"

"How about just dessert?"

Aubrielle nodded, "Right. I know a lot of the elves personally so I can take care of that. Candles?"

"Of course. Nothing too cheesy though; neither of them are that mushy."

"When are we going to do all this?"

"Right before Nielah leads them here."

"So around 8:30?"

"So around 8:30."

(Tuesday, November 25th)

"Nielah, where are you taking us? You know it's our one year and we wanted to spend some time alone."

Aubrielle let out a moan as her little sister insisted that she and Neville follow her to the Room. She said it was urgent and that she needed the both of them. Aubrielle, on the other hand, was, to be blunt, horny. She wasn't going to try and fool anyone; she really wanted Neville, badly. They hadn't had sex in a little under a month and her body was absolutely craving it. She rolled her eyes as Nielah excitedly spoke the password.

"We're fighting to stay alive."

The doors appeared and the young Ravenclaw was only too eager to push the doors open. She dragged the two seventh years into the Room and soon both of their jaws dropped in awe. The Army's headquarter was completely transformed and it was almost unrecognizable. Sitting in the middle of the dimly lit Room was a table with two candles on it. They were already lit with a perfectly sized flame that made it all the more intimate. There was a large crystal bowl on the table, complete with an ice cream sundae, and two tall glasses of ice water. The table itself was draped with a rose colored cloth and the two seats had cushions on them in the same shade of pink. There were ivory drapes scalloped along the ceiling and Aubrielle couldn't help but giggle when she saw their bed. It had been pushed together with another one, to form one huge bed, and there was a large pink blanket folded on it, along with silk pajamas. Nielah slowly pushed them forward, willing them to sit at the table, before smiling at the both of them and disappearing from the Room. Aubrielle still stood there, dumbstruck, and was brought back to reality when her boyfriend broke the silence.

"Wow."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Emolly?"

"Oh yeah. My bet is that Ginny and Luna helped too."

"Most definitely. Shall we?" 

He motioned to the display and Aubrielle nodded. She took his hand and followed him. He pulled out her seat and she sat down while he went to the other side of the table.

o.O.o

After the ice cream was finished and their long conversation was over, they moved to the bed, much to Aubrielle's anticipation. All during dessert she was antsy in her seat, wanting nothing more than to jump across the table and pounce on her boyfriend. She hadn't had urges this strong in a very long time and she was using every once of her will power to stay still and let the night unfold. But once Neville playfully pushed her on the bed, she let her hormones take over and before he knew it, his shirt was being ripped off. He smirked at her eagerness and simply brought his lips to her's in a passionate kiss. He was propped up by his forearms and hovering over the witch, while she was working furiously at his belt buckle. _'Damn, she really is eager. Better please my lady." _He brought one of his arms down and slid his hand up her thigh and under her skirt. He lightly skimmed the outside of her womanhood through her already moist knickers and she bucked her hips against his delicate touch. She was absolutely going insane on the inside and any amount of intimacy was going to send her over the edge. She finally was able to get the button on his jeans undone but instead of pulling his pants down, like she normally did, she shot her hand straight into his boxers and firmly gripped his member. A low groan erupted from the back of his throat and the blast of pleasure caused him to bit down on Aubrielle's neck. She let out an airy gasp and kept grinding her hips into his, begging him to have his way with her. It was as if she was going to die if he didn't touch her. He removed his mouth from her neck and slid down her body and her hand left his pants. He gripped the waistband of her panties and slid them down her long legs. Her skirt followed afterwards, and the movement of his fingers grazing her thighs sent her head reeling and her body begging for more. He brought his hands back to her chest and tantalizingly unbuttoned her shirt one button at a time. When the article was discarded, she arched her back so he could slip his hands under her and unhook her bra. She was now fully nude in front of him, like she had been so many times before, but he had to stop and mentally pinch himself before going any further. This was _his_ girlfriend, his amazing girlfriend, whom he had crushed on for years. Now, they were celebrating_ their _one-year anniversary, something that he thought would never happen when he first laid eyes on her. She was panting lightly, which caused her chest to heave, and Neville decided to put the poor girl out of her misery. He brought his lips back to her's, which she welcomed wholeheartedly by wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, while he found her sweet spot before putting a finger into her. She groaned into his mouth as he began to pump into her and before she knew it, three fingers were in her. She was bucking her hips and moaning loudly as she finally got her wish. She intertwined her fingers in his hair while he worked his mouth towards her breasts. She could feel the fire in her gut growing rapidly and she just wanted her release already. She kept grinding into his hand, trying to speed up the process, and was soon engulfed in a wave of immense pleasure. She closed her eyes, let out an airy shriek, and arched her back into her boyfriend as her peak rocked her entire body. Her body stiffened as the climax lingered inside of her and her panting grew heavy.

Neville pulled his fingers out of her and stepped off the bed so he could rid himself of his pants and boxers. Normally he would lie down on his back so she could give him oral sex, but watching his girlfriend get off like that made him impatient and he wanted her in that very instant. Barely giving her enough time to come down from her climax, he quickly opened her legs up and plunged inside of her womanhood.

"WOAH!"

Aubrielle tossed her head back on the pillow as the Gryffindor filled her up. He grunted as he quickened the pace of his thrusts, gripping her hips for leverage. She was quickly nearing another release and she could tell that Neville was too. Deciding to do some of the work, Aubrielle took her legs and wrapped them around his waist before flipping them over. Now on top, the Ravenclaw began to bounce and grind on top of him. He gawked at her as her breasts bounced with her movements and her hair flung out in dark waves. He was almost at his peak, so close, and gave a few good, hard thrusts into her. Suddenly, Aubrielle's entire body tightened around his member as her second orgasm filled her up. A strained moan left her mouth as Neville spoke a jumble of words.

"Dear-Aub- oh- YES!"

He released his load inside of her but waited for a couple of seconds before pulling out. They were stuck in daze as their orgasms stayed for a few moments longer than normal. When he finally detached himself from her, she fell onto him, exhausted. They laid on the bed for a while, regaining their normal heart rates, before putting on something to sleep in. Usually they would just sleep naked, but they had no idea when the Army members were coming back so they thought it would be best to play it safe. Aubrielle pulled on her knickers and pulled Neville's t-shirt over her head, which he always thought looked better on her than him, and he slipped into the silk pajama bottoms. They rested back into the bed and pulled the sheet over top of them. Neville wrapped his arm around his girlfriend and she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Aubrielle?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too. Actually…"

He rolled over on his side and reached for his robe. He dragged it closer to him until he could get to the inside pocket, and pulled out a velvet ring box. He sat back up in the bed and Aubrielle sat up next to him with her eyes wide.

"Here. This is for you."

"Neville-" 

"Open it."

She took the box from his hand and slowly lifted the lid. She gasped as she saw what was within. It was a sterling silver ring, with a tiny pearl fastened to it. On one side of the pearl was an engraved '_A'_ and on the other side was an '_N.'_ She gently lifted it out of the case and turned it over in her hand.

"Look at the inside."

Carved into the inside of the band was the words, "I love you." The Ravenclaw felt tears come to her eyes as her boyfriend took the ring and slid it onto her finger.

"It's a promise ring, to show you how much I love you."

She beamed at the wizard, unbelievable grateful that he was her's, and cupped his face with her hands before kissing him passionately.

**:D God I always get so damn fluffy with the smut scenes….but I love it. Review for a sneak peak of the next chapter! :)**


	14. December

**Sorry for the filler chapter…but this is much needed. I am also sorry that it is ridiculously short. Pretty much, the entire month of December is one update. Also, this is going to be one of those times where I am going to make things happen that don't happen in the book. It's my story, after all. Hope you like it! RxR!**

December was a long and dreary month. A lot of students stayed back in the castle over the break, and any younger Army members that did so were able to move into the Room of Requirement. They were all moving in permanently, anyway, since the Army was loosing about 10 members over break and there was plenty of space. See, some kids' parents were going into hiding, much like Aubrielle and Nielah's mother, and they were going to hide with them. It was detrimental to their numbers and Neville worried about how many fighters they would have on their side once this war hit. It was out of his control, though, so he tried not to lose too much sleep over the matter.

Luna went home to her father and promised to do some scouting missions for Neville. He was trying to bring back as many Hogwarts alumni as possible to make up for the members they lost. Besides, Snape wouldn't notice any new students as long as they stayed in the Room of Requirement for the most part. Luna promised to contact as many people as she could, and that included Cho Chang, Oliver Wood, and Angelina Johnson, among others. He just prayed that they would all agree to come back.

Neville spent most of his early break worrying about Aubrielle. She always seemed distant with him, like she wanted to tell him something but couldn't. He had approached her about it many times but she always brushed it off or walked away. She had told him about her mother going into hiding but he could tell that that wasn't what was bothering her. It was something else, and he really needed to know.

(Early December)

Nielah and Aubrielle were sitting on the elder's cot, playing a game of wizarding chess, while Neville observed. Nielah was clearly in trouble, but Aubrielle started making stupid moves so her little sister would come out on top. The young Ravenclaw moved her piece into position and with a swift swing of its sword, cracked Aubrielle's king in half.

"Check mate! HA! I never win!"

"Good job Nie. You caught me on an off night."

"Yeah, yeah."

Aubrielle winked to her little sister before she trotted off to talk to Padma. The seventh year watched her go with the same distant stare in her eyes that she had had for days. Neville sat up and cleared his throat so his girlfriend would look at him. She turned her head to see him glaring at her worriedly. 

"You're not telling me something. Something is eating away at you, I can tell."

"I'm fine-"

"No, you're not. Don't lie to me Aubrielle."

She stared at him, begging her mind to make up its decision. She still hadn't told Neville about Emolly's situation, but she desperately wanted to. She had been even more inclined to tell him recently, since Emolly was forced to spend her entire winter break with Blaise at his manor in Italy. The little invisible demons on her shoulders were yelling at each other while her boyfriend continued to look at her.

"Aubrielle, tell me what is bothering you. I don't like it when you hold something back from me. It makes me feel like I can't trust you."

Her eyes widened. She needed Neville now more than ever and she needed to know that he trusted her with his life. She took a deep breath. _'Do it. Tell him. It will put your mind at ease and it will help your best friend. It's the only choice you have.'_

"Neville, I need to tell you something."

"I know you do, that's why I've been worried. What's wrong?"

"It's doesn't have anything to do with me. It's…it's about Emolly."

"Emolly?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong? Aubrielle just spit it out."

She took a deep breath. "You know how she got back together with Blaise? Well it's not for the reasons that everyone thinks."

"What are you saying?"

She inhaled greatly and closed her eyes. Dear Merlin, here come the tears.

"Blaise threatened her and told her that she had to get back together with him or else he would…"

She was trembling. She knew that the second she told her boyfriend; he would want Blaise's head on a platter.

"He told her he would abuse me and rape me if she didn't."

"HE WHAT!" The wizard jumped to his feet and his face began to turn red with rage. In a matter of seconds, the Gryffindor's insides were boiling and he had gone from concerned to furious in the blink of an eye.

"Please calm down Neville!"

"Calm down? He threatened to rape my girlfriend!"

"I know but he didn't actually do it, okay? Please! I wasn't suppose to-"

"I don't care if he didn't actually _do it_ Aubrielle! He still had the intent to! I'll kill him! When he steps foot in this castle again, I'll hex him until he doesn't know what year it is. I'll make sure that he can't-"

"Neville! Stop, please! You're scaring me!"

He stopped, his chest heaving from being so worked up. He looked at the Ravenclaw to see tears coming out of her eyes. She was staring back at him, looking absolutely terrified. She had never seen him get that angry that quickly. She reached out towards him and nervously took his hand in hers. He was taking big breaths, willing his heart to slow down a little, and let Aubrielle lead him back to the bed. He sat down next to her, still trying to wrap his head around everything.

"So Emolly is with Blaise…to protect you from him?"

"Yes."

"And is he…doing the same thing to her that he would have done to you?"

"…Y-yes."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Almost a month."

"Why are you just telling me this now?"

"Because Emolly begged me not to get you or anyone else involved. I would have told you sooner, honestly, but I didn't want her to feel like I betrayed her."

They were quiet for a while but Neville could still hear his girlfriend lightly crying. He looked over at her to see her visibly upset. Obviously she had a hard time deciding whether to tell him or not. He wrapped her up in his arms and cradled her in his lap. He moved on the cot until his back was resting up against the wall. She gripped his shirt tightly and stopped crying when he ran his fingers through her dark hair. He kissed her on the top of her head and she turned to look at him.

"I don't know what to do Neville. Obviously I want her far away from him, but I don't know how to make that happen without someone getting hurt."

"We'll think of something, love. We'll think of something."

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

The Army members spent most of their break inside the Room of Requirement. The only time they ever really left was to either eat or read at the library. Other than that, they mostly stayed inside the safety of the hidden room. They kept themselves busy by practicing their spells, dueling each other, playing wizard chess, reading and writing, or playing other various games. Nielah practiced her Patronus charm almost every waking hour of every day. Finally, her hard work paid off when she formed a full body in the form of an owl. She squealed with delight as the bird flew through the air. It had to be, by far, Nielah's proudest moment since being at Hogwarts.

Obviously hygiene became a huge issue to everyone over time and the Room itself started having a peculiar odor in the air. The girls were disturbed by it the most and demanded that proper bathrooms were installed immediately. Having nothing to do and needing a project, Seamus and Michael volunteered to create one for the boys while Lavender and the Patil twins agreed to make one for the girls. In about two weeks they were finished, complete with fully functional toilets, sinks, and showers. They were concealed behind large changing walls and intricately draped towels. In all honesty, the bathrooms made everything ten times better and Neville praised his friends for making it all possible. The Room was quickly becoming a comfortable house like space where kids could escape the dreaded facts of reality and just…be themselves.

o.O.o

Neville and Aubrielle celebrated their thirteen-month on Christmas. It was nothing special, really. They exchanged their gifts and had a private breakfast in his Herbology office. Neville gave Aubrielle a book of sheet music that she had been coveting for months, and the Ravenclaw gave her boyfriend a book as well, only his was about the many species of magical roots. Their alone time was minimal, as they spent most of the day with their friends. Christmas, despite everything going on in their lives at the moment, seemed to put everyone in an upbeat mood. The holidays had a way of doing so, but it was particularly noticeable this time around. The Army came together that night for their own little feast. There were no petty arguments, no house divisions, just a group of students laughing and enjoying themselves for the first time in months.

As the break came to a close, and the new term neared, the happy atmosphere quickly vanished. Students were starting to trickle back into the castle and they all had a look of defeat on their faces. No one wanted to be back at Hogwarts. No one.

With returning students, however, meant the possibility of alumni sneaking into the school. Neville constantly walked the halls, keeping his eye out for any of his old friends. After checking the library, owlry, and Great Hall, it was a quick trip to the Gryffindor Common Room that put a smile on his face and hope in his heart. There, sitting on the big red couch, was Oliver Wood.

"Oliver!"

"Hey Neville."

The boys tightly hugged each other and shook hands. Neville was beaming, happy to know that Luna was able to contact at least one person successfully. Oliver was still Oliver, except with more facial hair. He was proudly wearing his old Gryffindor Quidditch sweater from when he won the cup. He had a small trunk with him, and Neville picked it up before leading him out of the portrait.

"I'm so glad you came back."

"There was no hesitation. Luna contacted me, told me that you guys needed fighters, and that was the end of that."

"Well, want to see where you'll be living for the next couple months?" 

"Lets do this."

They walked down the staircase and weaved their way through the halls until they reached the seemingly normal wall. Neville turned back to Oliver to find him confused.

"You know about the Room of Requirement, right?"

"I know about it, but I've never seen it."

"Well there's a first time for everything." He turned back to the wall, "We're fighting to stay alive."

The doors made their usual appearance at the words and Oliver let his jaw drop in awe. Neville stepped foreword and pushed one of the large doors open and waited for Oliver to enter before closing it behind them. As if on cue, Aubrielle came bounding over to her boyfriend and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Oliver snickered at the Ravenclaw, which caused her to pull away and look at who laughed at her. When she saw it was Oliver, she leapt on him and put him into a death grip hug.

"Oliver!"

The two had known each other for years, being enemies on the Quidditch pitch but friends in the halls. He wrapped his arms around her, happy to see her again. She pulled away and beamed at him. She ran her hand on his scruff and laughed.

"Going for the rugged look, eh Wood?"

"I thought I'd try it out. Looks like you've gone soft though, Song. I never thought I'd see the day where you were so giddy over a guy."

"Shut it!" She playfully socked him on the arm but he had to admit, it was a hard punch. The trio walked over to an empty cot that would now become Oliver's. As he was organizing his things, Aubrielle sat on his bed and caught up with him. Neville went back to his own cot to categorize his teaching assistant papers, but really didn't get much done. He was watching his girlfriend interact with his friend and found himself concerned at how easily they could talk to each other. He trusted Aubrielle whole-heartedly, there was no questioning it, but he still felt uneasy watching them. The two had known each other for years and Oliver was a great guy. What girl wouldn't be attracted to him? His worries soon diminished when he saw Aubrielle hold up her hand to show Oliver her promise ring that Neville had given her. _'You're crazy for questioning her Longbottom. She loves you. She loves you…"_

**Welp, there's the filler chapter. And yay for having Oliver Wood back at Hogwarts! Again, I am going to do things differently than the book. That's what fanfiction is though. People's own ideas and interpretations. Review please!**


	15. Old Friends and Loose Threads

**Again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed! New update! RxR!**

(Monday, January 5th)

The first day of the new term flew by quickly, surprisingly. The halls were significantly less crowded as well, due to the amount of students that had gone into hiding with their families. The only person that Neville was positive didn't go into hiding, yet wasn't at the castle, was Luna. He didn't belabor it too much though. He just figured she'd be back in the Room when he went there later that day. Neville passed Emolly and Blaise in the hall and felt like socking the git square in the face. That was another thing, Neville still hadn't figured out how to remove Blaise from the situation but he was constantly trying to come up with something. He realized that every moment she was with him things were getting worse so he was anxious. He wanted to help her, he genuinely did, he was just at a lose for the moment. The Gryffindor decided to head back to Army Headquarters, knowing the atmosphere would clear his mind for the time being. He walked back to the Room of Requirement and was glad to see another alumni occupying a cot. Cho Chang was dressing a bed while talking with Nielah. The two Ravenclaws turned to see who had entered and Cho smiled when she saw Neville. He walked over to them and hugged her hard, happy to see her alive and well.

"Cho! So great to see you! When did you get in?"

"Late last night but I stayed in the Ravenclaw tower. I came back to the wall, I figured the Room would still be headquarters, but the doors wouldn't appear. It wasn't until Nielah found me, and told me about the password encoded ward, that I was able to get here."

"Right. Have you seen Oliver? He's here too."

"Really? I haven't seen him yet. Oh!"

The witch searched through her pockets until she revealed what she had been looking for. It was a piece of tightly folded parchment with the Quibbler seal on it. She extended her arm and handed it to the wizard.

"This is for you."

His heart started beating as it all came full circle. _'Luna.' _If Luna wasn't going to come back, well, the Army would fall apart. She was one of the instructors, someone who the younger members looked up to. She had to come back, she just had to. He ripped through the seal and quickly flattened out the paper. He quickly scanned the words, praying for the best but expecting the worst.

_Neville, _

_ Christmas break was rough. I contacted a total of ten alumni but I have no idea how many are coming back. I tried my hardest, I can assure you. Cho was the last one I contacted and since she immediately agreed, I decided to send this letter back with her. My father has been under constant fire and is always under death eater watch due to the fact that he openly supports Harry and his cause through his magazine. Evidently he had been approached by a few snatchers a week before my arrival. They told him that they would hurt his family if he continued to print the Quibbler. Since I'm his only family, it is apparent whom they are targeting. He did stop his publication, but that doesn't mean that I'll never run into the snatchers over break. I just wanted to let you know so that if something does happen to me, you at least have a vague idea. Hopefully I'll see you at the start of the new term._

_ D.A. Forever._

_ Luna._

Neville read the letter once, twice, three times. He couldn't believe it. Luna was gone, most likely taken hostage by death eaters or snatchers, and most likely stuck in a cell or dungeon. Neville felt himself getting choked up as he folded the paper up and put it into his pant pocket. Luna was one of his best friends, what the hell was he going to do without her? Yes, he was friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione too, but this was different. She had been there for him all year when the Golden Trio couldn't. She was the one that kept him level headed and kept spirits high for the Army. His mind started racing as the realization hit him. This war was coming quickly, and he might actually lose the ones he loved. He thanked Cho and said good-bye to the two ladies before heading out of the Room. The first thing he needed to do was tell Ginny the news. After all, she was the third instructor for the Army and this would affect her just as much as it did him. He paced through the halls, looking for the youngest Weasley. Library? Nope. Great Hall? Not there. Gryffindor Common Room? No where. Where could she possibly be? In a desperate last attempt, he checked the owlry. He walked up snow-covered steps and walked through the threshold. Sure enough, he immediately spotted his best friend's bright orange hair.

"Gin."

The sixth year whipped her head around to see Neville standing there with a piece of parchment in his head.

"Hey."

"You need to read this."

He walked over to her and handed her the letter. He watched her eyes widen as she read the note in its entirety. She looked up at wizard with a troubled look to her features.

"So she's…"

"Not coming back."

"And you think snatchers have her?"

"Either that or death eaters, yeah."

"Holy shit."

Ginny leaned on the railing for support. This was all too real. How were she and Neville going to run the Army, just the two of them? It was hard enough with three instructors. She looked back at the letter. Maybe this was some kind of sick joke and Luna was just hiding in the castle somewhere. No, she wouldn't do that. It was definitely Luna's handwriting and the Quibbler seal was authentic. That was it than. Her friend was gone. Ginny felt her eyes start to water up. _'Damnit. No! Go away tears.' _She hated crying because she saw it as a sign of weakness. She couldn't help it though. They were going to force their way out of her eyes whether she liked it or not. She sniffled hard and Neville quickly brought her into his chest. She clutched onto his coat and let them flow freely while he held her tightly.

"I know Gin…I know." 

o.O.o

Word of Luna's capture spread like a fiendfyre throughout the Army. By the end of the night, almost every member knew and it really affected the mood in the Room. When Neville walked in after dinner, there was an eerie silence that lingered in the air. Aubrielle came rushing over to him and draped herself around his neck. He swopped her up into his arms and buried his face in her wild waves.

"Please tell me it's just a nasty rumor."

"I wish it was Aubs."

He lightly lifted her, so her feet just barely dangled above the ground, and carried her over to the cot that they shared. She clung to him the entire time, not wanting to lift her head up from his chest. He set her down on the bed, but she still didn't let go. He could tell that she wasn't crying, however, so he came to the conclusion that she was just scared. Hell, they were all scared. This had happened to one of their own; someone who went to school with them and was their age. Aubrielle blindly reached for her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it tightly the moment she found it. He finally was able to separate her from his body and looked into her scared hazel eyes. He took a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"Well, guess I should talk to everyone, eh?"

"That's a good idea."

"Right."

Neville gave her a quick kiss before standing up. He walked towards the center of the floor and cleared his throat. Everyone perked their heads up and turned towards his direction. He scanned the students; some had blank faces, most were crying.

"As most of you know, Luna Lovegood isn't here. While her location and exact situation is unknown, we are almost positive that she has been taken by either death eaters or snatchers."

There was a sudden increase in volume as members started whispering to each other. Neville cleared his throat again, but it wasn't enough. Oliver stood up next to the seventh year.

"Oi! Shut your mouths."

Neville gave the wizard an appreciative nod as the noise died down, "Thank you. Here's the deal, as much as I want to go out there and search for her; that would be unreasonable and stupid on my part. There is nothing we can really do to help her. I know you all are concerned or scared or confused. You need to realize though that this is a very troubled time in our world and things like this will happen. It's times like these that we need to start looking out for each other. Is that clear?" The members nodded their heads. "Now, since so many kids left over break to go into hiding, I've brought back some old friends and Hogwarts alumni."

Figuring that was her cue, Cho stood up and walked over to Neville and Oliver. The Gryffindor turned to smile at them.

"Why don't you two introduce yourselves?"

Oliver stepped forward, "Right. Well, hey. My name's Oliver Wood; I graduated four years ago. I was sorted into Gryffindor while I was here and I'm a Quidditch fanatic."

A couple of the older students laughed, knowing that the last statement was all too true. Cho stepped forward next and waved to the crowd. 

"Hello, I'm Cho Chang. I graduated last year from Ravenclaw," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny coin, "and I was a member of the original D.A. when it was formed two years ago."

She gave a pleasant smile, and the current members applauded for the two graduates. They went back to their cots and were approached by a couple curious young ones. They talked about their past experiences at Hogwarts, but kids mostly wanted to know what it was like outside of the school. Neville went back to Aubrielle and slumped down on the bed. He was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Aubrielle rested her head on his chest and fiddled with his tie.

"Have you thought about the Emolly thing?"

"Yeah."

"Have you come up with anything?"

"Not yet."

"Me either."

She took a deep breath and exhaled. There was a new vibe this term. Something was out of order. It was almost as if the pressure was building and building and needed to be released soon. The Ravenclaw cringed. She didn't know when everything was going to blow, but she wasn't looking forward to it when it did.

(Tuesday, January 6th)

"Em! I've missed you so much."

Aubrielle stood up and bear hugged Emolly as soon as the witch walked past the bookcase. The blonde practically threw herself at her best friend. She hadn't seen the Ravenclaw for a month and she desperately needed to talk to her about her holidays with Blaise. The two seventh years sat down at the table before getting too wrapped up in conversation.

"How was your break with Blaise?"

"Interesting."

"How so?"

"Well for one thing, his family was absolutely ecstatic to see me. They've always loved me so to hear that we were back together made their holidays."

Aubrielle snorted. "Do they know _why_ you're back with him?"

"Of course not. The funniest thing is that they praise Blaise whenever they can. They think he's a little angel."

"Ha! If only they knew."

Emolly chuckled, but Aubrielle could tell that is wasn't a happy laugh. Emolly had her head hung and her hands in her lap. Aubrielle studied her while they sat there in silence. She had no bruising or scars on her face; that was a good sign, right?

"Emolly, please tell me what he did to you over break. I-I need to know."

"The usual."

"Specifics."

"It was mostly just violent sex. There was one really bad fight that we got in, however."

"Em-"

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there. It was one night while everyone was out. Blaise was in his father's study while I was tidying up for bed. When he called me in…I knew what he wanted but I was exhausted. I was literally on the brink of collapse because I was so tired. I couldn't do it, I just couldn't. I went to the study anyway to try and talk him out of it. I thought that maybe if I begged and pleaded with him, he would find some hint of respect for my wishes. Gods I was so stupid."

"So what happened?"

"I went to the study. He put down his newspaper and was instantly upset when he saw me wearing my pajamas. He exchanged some…nasty words with me but I was beyond caring that night. So, I simply turned around and walked out. I was heading upstairs to the guest room where I was staying but he caught up to me and grabbed me by the wrist. I tried to wriggle free but he just held on to me tighter. I managed to kick him in the shin pretty hard and he let go of me for an instance. I sprinted up the stairs and right as I got on the landing, he tackled me. He had me pinned on the floor with my hands above my head. I squirmed under him but he just put all his weight on me. He threatened me again, told me I had to do whatever he said or he would hurt me. Well, I said no and that set him off. He got off of me and hoisted me to my feet. I tried to make a run for it again but he grabbed me by my shirt and forcefully threw me backwards…all the way down the stairs."

Aubrielle gasped loudly. He threw her down the stairs? What the Hell? Emolly rolled back her robe sleeve to reveal a brace on her wrist.

"I got a bad concussion from the fall and blacked out. I woke up in St. Mungo's with this cast o2n my wrist and a pounding headache. It's fractured in three different spots."

"Emolly! What did Blaise's family say?"

"They think I tripped going down the stairs-"

"You're breaking up with him."

"What? But he'll rape-" 

"Emolly stop being so bloody stubborn! I don't give a damn about what he'll do to me! Can't you see what he is doing to _you_? You're being abused! You're growing weak…"

"Yeah? And how do you propose I do this? 'Oh, hey Blaise. Listen…I don't want to be with you anymore so you can go rape my best friend now. So…uh…see you around!' You're out of your mind Aubrielle!"

"Listen Emolly, Neville and I have been thinking of a way to get him expelled from school so he can't-"

"WHAT? _ Neville_ and I?"

"That's another thing, I told Neville everything. I told him why you're with that git, what he said about me; he knows everything. And we're going to do something about it. You need to stop thinking that you can do this on your own. You can't Emolly. We're going to help you whether you like it or not!"

The Ravenclaw stood up as her friend started to protest. She wouldn't hear it though; her word was final and she was going to take control of this situation since, clearly, Emolly was too kind hearted to do it herself. The Slytherin leapt up from the table and cut her friend off at the bookcase.

"Please Aubrielle…don't do this."

The witch looked into the blonde's amber eyes. Emolly didn't want to admit it, but she desperately wanted out; she just didn't know how to say it. For right now, however, she was going to put on a brave face for the sake of her friend. But, in her eyes, Aubrielle could see the fear, the anxiety, and the misery. Aubrielle could tell that Emolly meant the exact opposite of what she was saying; she could see it in her eyes. The brunette quickly wrapped the seventh year into her arms and right then and there, Emolly broke down. The floodgates of her eyes were broken and the tears flowed like rivers. The Slytherin crumpled into Aubrielle's chest and clung to her robes. Aubrielle had never seen Emolly cry like this, ever. She held her as tightly as she could, understanding that her best friend needed her now more than ever. She quietly shushed her as she finger combed her long blonde hair.

"I want you to move back into the Room, tonight."

Emolly perked her head up abruptly and looked at the Ravenclaw through bloodshot eyes.

"Neville and I will figure something out and we'll deal with Blaise."

"O-okay."

She slumped her head back into Aubrielle's chest and tightened her grip on the witch's robes.

"Aubrielle?" 

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. T-thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. Now, go grab your trunk. Pack everything up. Lets do this right now."

The Slytherin let go of her friend and whipped her eyes. She sniffled but then regained her normal breathing before walking out of the library and towards the Slytherin dungeons.

o.O.o

She walked through the portrait with a newfound confidence. She was going to cut all ties with Blaise, and she was going to have her friends back her up. It was a wonderful feeling. She was happy to see the Common Room unoccupied, save for a little second year, and made her way up the stairs and into her dorm room that she shared with Pansy and Daphne. Unfortunately, the latter was lying on her bed, reading her potions book. The witch flashed a wicked smile as the blonde walked into the room.

"Hey slut."

Emolly didn't say anything, this was Daphne's usual greeting to her, but instead walked straight to her wardrobe and opened the doors. She started taking her clothes off the hooks and shoving them into her trunk. Screw being neat and tidy; she just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. She heard Daphne slam her book shut behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Leaving."

"What?"

"Don't worry Daphne; you won't have to share a room with a whore anymore."

"Does Blaise know about this?"

"That's none of your business."

"So he doesn't."

The blonde turned around to the witch with a defiant look in her eyes. She had been bullied enough and she wasn't about to take it from some self-riotous bitch.

"Like I said…none of your damn business."

Emolly went into the bathroom, grabbed her toiletries, and tossed them into her trunk before slamming the lid close and locking it. She went to wheel it out of the room but Daphne blocked the door.

"You're stupid for leaving Blaise."

"Yeah? Well let me make the '_mistake'_ than. Besides, you don't know what's been happening between him and I. Shove off Daphne."

"Oh I know what's been happening. You think I can't hear the moans and groans coming from his room? I know you're in it for the sex. I know you're opening your legs for him every bloody chance you get. Everybody loves you Emolly. You're little Emolly Goldster, the innocent blonde haired beauty who kicks ass in charms-"

"Just let me by Daphne."

"Everyone loves you! Everyone thinks you're an angel! If only people knew the truth, knew that you're a little sex-crazed…whore! You have the best guy in the entire damn school and you're throwing him away! What? Sex was too boring? Too routine!"

"If you want him Daphne, YOU CAN HAVE HIM!"

"I don't want your damn sloppy seconds! I'll probably get herpes or some shit like that."

"I'm not going to say this again. Let me pass."

"NO! You always get what you want! You get good grades, good looks, loyal friends, an awesome guy-"

"He's not who you think he is Daphne. Now…LET ME PASS."

"Blaise Zabini is a kind hearted, funny, charming-"

"HE'S BEEN RAPING ME! THERE! NOW YOU KNOW THE DAMN TRUTH!"

Emolly quickly shut her mouth. What had she just done? The girl who hated her the most, despised her, now knew the truth. Daphne's eyes widened as she took in the information. She wordlessly moved the to side so Emolly could rush out of the door and to the Room of Requirement.

**I'm excited to see how this whole thing with Emolly turns out, yeah? Review!**


	16. Daphne Greengrass

**Here you go! Just as a head's up…I'm writing these slower right now b/c of school and what not. I will try to put up at least one update a week, but they are going to be more spread out. Read and review!**

**ALSO! Today is my birthday! :D Review to make me happy!**

Emolly was beyond thrilled to be back in the Room and Requirement and protected by its password-encoded ward. She had left Blaise a rather…tasteful letter on his bed and she knew that as soon as he read it, he would come searching for her. Things would be different this time, though. This time she had her friends backing her up and she was actually grateful that Neville knew what she had gone through. At first, she was really concerned that he would look at her differently. She was afraid that he would see her as a slut, like everyone else in Slytherin house. However, the Gryffindor made it very clear to her as soon as she came back to the Room that he fully supported her and would protect her from the abusive wizard. She realized than that she should have come to her friends sooner and sucked up her pride, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Emolly couldn't stay in the Room of Requirement all year, however, because that would just be silly. She would be hiding from her enemies rather than standing up for herself. Blaise really wasn't the one on her mind anymore anyway. She kept cursing herself for letting her heart take over for that split second the other day, and blabbing her secret to Daphne. Of all people, her? The witch had hated her, despised her, envied her, and now she had Emolly's biggest secret tucked up her sleeve. Being the Slytherin that she was, she would most likely use it as leverage on the blonde by blackmailing her. She would just have to wait and see.

(Wednesday, January 7th)

The Great Hall was practically empty. It was late at night, close to eleven o'clock, but there were about a dozen students that were taking advantage of the quiet. Emolly was sitting at one end of the Slytherin table, while Pansy, Daphne, Astoria, and Goyle were at the other end. Neville and Ginny were the only ones at the Gryffindor table, there were four students at the Hufflepuff one, and Aubrielle and Nielah occupied the Ravenclaw table. Books, parchments, inkwells, and quills were spread out over the tables, giving the allusion that there were 30 or so students studying. Amycus Carrow was casually sitting in a chair at the head of the Hall, observing the students. Aubrielle was quickly scribbling away on a roll of parchment, trying to catch up on her University level potions class.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

The booming voice cut through the silence like a butcher's knife and everyone looked up to see whose mouth it had came from. Aubrielle felt panic rise in her as Blaise Zabini rushed over to the Slytherin table and straight to Emolly. The blonde looked up nervously and rushed to put her supplies in her bag. She was going to run if she could. She didn't care if it looked cowardly; she couldn't handle any more pain.

"YOU STUPID SLUT!"

He stomped over to her furiously but Neville, Ginny, and Aubrielle were already out of their seats with their wands drawn. They were out from behind the benches, but not quick enough before Blaise whacked Emolly forcefully in the back of her head. A sharp ringing occupied her ears and she suddenly felt light headed. She had just had a really bad concussion no longer than two weeks ago, and another head injury was the last thing she needed. Next thing she knew, there was a frenzy of spells being cast and light was whizzed above her.

Aubrielle leapt over the table with her wand pointed at Blaise. Just as she was about to get a hex off, she was hit hard with a spell and her body was instantly petrified. Goyle had his wand pointed at her, smiling, before turning towards her little sister. Ginny swiftly jumped in front of the fifth year and blocked the curse. She quickly pointed her wand at Aubrielle.

"Rennervate."

Aubrielle gasped as her body regained control. Neville was already sprinting at Goyle, furious about him hexing his girlfriend. Soon the two wizards were intensely dueling each other. The Gryffindor would knock the wizard off his feet, only to shoot back towards the wall. They kept outdoing each other in a fight that was too close to call. Aubrielle's head was reeling as a full battle broke out. She felt someone hoisting her up and turned to see Ginny pulling her to her feet. She looked in the direction of her best friend just in time to see Blaise kick the back of her knees. She crumpled to the ground with a hard thud and her wand shot out of her hand. She started crawling to it, but Blaise stepped on her bum wrist, causing her to scream out in agony. Aubrielle's one goal was to get to her, that's all she needed to do. She needed to help her best friend and protect her. She started bounding towards the two seventh years but stopped abruptly when her kid sister called her name.

"AUBRIELLE! TO YOUR RIGHT!"

The Ravenclaw turned to see Astoria Greengrass facing her with her wand drawn.

"Cru-"

"Levicorpus!"

Aubrielle shot the Slytherin back into the table, but the latter was determined and a fierce witch. She shot back at Aubrielle with everything she had. She was firing curse after curse at Aubrielle and the brunette was just barely keeping up. One thing was for sure; Astoria was positioning herself in between Blaise and Aubrielle so the witch couldn't get to them. _'Think again bitch!' _Aubrielle started upping the ante with her curses, and she could tell that the Slytherin was faltering.

Meanwhile, everyone else had the same mind set as Aubrielle; get to Emolly. Neville was occupied with Goyle and now Pansy was taking on Ginny. Nielah dodged curses and hexes as she made her way towards Emolly. She was so close to her, could practically touch her, when Blaise spotted her coming. He stopped beating Emolly for a moment only to raise his wand and petrify the fifth year. She hit the floor, hard, and stayed there. No one could turn around and say the counter curse, because the second they did, they would be hexed as well. The Hufflepuffs that were sitting at their table had fled as soon as they saw trouble, and Carrow was grinning wickedly at his seat, enjoying the show. The only one that was still standing there, frozen, was Daphne. For once, she didn't know what side to take. There were her friends and her sister, bravely fighting for Blaise. She was a Slytherin girl, through and through, but she felt like fighting against her housemates this time. She looked over to see her friend beat Emolly over and over again. The blonde's words from the day prior were still ringing in her ears, and Daphne couldn't help but sympathize with the witch. She saw now, with the way Blaise was abusing her in front of everyone, that the relationship wasn't healthy like they portrayed. Even more, Emolly was not the slut that Daphne thought she was. She was actually getting raped, continuously, and Daphne did nothing but bully her. She looked from her friends to Emolly; feeling more conflicted now than ever before in her life. She needed to make a decision, and fast. She nervously raised her wand and shot off the hex.

"Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!"

Blaise quickly shot to the back wall before freezing up under the second spell. Daphne then turned her wand to her sister, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. _'I'm sorry sis.'_

"Petrificus Totalus."

The younger Greengrass girl hit the floor with a thud and Aubrielle looked up, confused. She glanced over to see Daphne crying, pointing her wand at her sister. The Slytherin then pivoted towards Pansy and fired off the same spell, before finishing with Goyle. Aubrielle, not having the time to stop and gawk, sprinted over to Emolly's beaten body. The blonde was on her hands and knees sputtering and coughing. Aubrielle's insides turned as she witnessed her best friend spit up a considerable amount of blood. She knelt next to her friend and hoisted her to her feet, putting her arm around her waist for support.

"Neville! She needs Madame Pomfrey…now!"

Her boyfriend rushed over to her, still confused as to why Daphne turned on her friends and family, and picked Emolly up bridal style. In a matter of seconds, he and Aubrielle were both rushing towards the medical wing. Ginny went over and rejuvenated Nielah and helped the fifth year to her feet. The Ravenclaw gathered her equilibrium before surveying the scene. Nielah stared cautiously at Daphne, unsure of what to do. Why had she done that? Daphne followed Blaise around like a lost puppy, so why would she hex him? Ginny pointed her wand at the Slytherin.

"Sorry Daphne. I'm just being safe. Incarcerous."

The ropes shot of the Gryffindor's wand and wrapped themselves around Daphne's shaking body. She was still crying, totally torn by what she had just done. Ginny looked at all the petrified Slytherins before setting her eyes on Daphne. The sixth year could tell that she was upset by her actions, but then why would she have done them? She looked at Nielah and spoke out loud.

"Go get McGonagall. She'll know what to do with them."

"Okay. That sounds like the best thing to do anyway."

The fifth year vanished from the Great Hall while Carrow casually took a sip of his tea and smiled.

o.O.o

Neville and Aubrielle rushed into the medical wing. Emolly was still crying and hacking up blood, which was staining Neville's button up. They were frantically screaming for Madame Pomfrey, who came scurrying out from behind a large changing wall. Both seventh years were talking at an amazingly rapid pace as the healer came towards them.

"BLAISE KICKED HER AND PUNCHED HER-"

"She was on the floor for a long time-"

"Spitting up blood!"

"Coughing and hacking-"

"SHUT IT! I need you to both be quiet so I can work on her in peace. Mr. Longbottom, bring her over to this cot. Gently now…"

While the wizard set the blonde on the bed, Aubrielle kept firing off information.

"Blaise has been raping her and she broke up with him but he wasn't happy about it and we were all sitting in the Great Hall when he came storming in and he hit her on the back of her head and then-"

"MS. SONG!"

The brunette quickly shut up, understanding the demanding tone of the witch's voice.

"Please get out of the medical wing. I understand that you two are good friends, but if you are going to be like this I simply cannot have you in here. Scoot! Let me do my job!"

Aubrielle looked worriedly at her struggling best friend, reluctant to actually follow orders. She didn't want to leave her alone. Neville gently tugged at his girlfriend's shirt, begging her to walk out with him. She quickly looked at him but whipped her head back to the Slytherin sputtering on the cot.

"Ms. Song-"

"Yes ma'am!"

The Ravenclaw turned around and clutched Neville's hand before darting out of the wing. He figured they were walking back to the Room of Requirement, but he was puzzled as they sped past the blank wall.

"Love? Love, where are you going? C'mon, let's head back to headquarters-"

"No!"

He gave her hand a tug, understanding where she was going with this. She felt his resistance and immediately pulled away from him. She started running towards the Great Hall with Neville close behind.

"Aubrielle! NO!"

She sprinted through the doors with her wand drawn. She wanted Blaise dead. She wanted him to suffer and feel pain. She wanted him to taste his own goddamn medicine! Neville quickly came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She still had her wand in her hand but Neville batted it away and onto the ground. She was kicking and screaming against him but he simply held on tighter.

"Neville! Put…me…down! I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!"

"No! Aubrielle, calm down! Calm down!"

"NO! Didn't you see her? She's coughing up blood! That bastard! LET ME AT HIM!"

"Now now Ms. Song… I would listen to your bloody boyfriend if I were you."

Neville pivoted to see who had said that. He set the Ravenclaw on her feet as he made eye contact with Headmaster Snape. It was a shock to the Gryffindor. He hadn't seen the Headmaster since the first week of school. Aubrielle was obviously stunned too, because she completely forgot about Blaise and didn't care to reach for her wand. McGonagall was there too, standing next to Ginny and Nielah, and Carrow was behind the line of bound Slytherins. The only Slytherin not tied up was Daphne. Instead, the witch was lightly crying, refusing to make eye contact with her sister or friends. Amycus was smiling, obviously pleased with himself, while McGonagall's face was twisted into a stern scowl. She, on the other hand, was not pleased by any means. Snape looked around at all the students before talking again.

"Now, I want to know what happened here. Exact words. I don't like to be disturbed like this."

Everyone was silent, not sure what to say. Neville looked over at Aubrielle and raised his eyebrows. She knew everything. Sure, Blaise did too, but he was in no position to speak. The witch looked at Blaise, the hatred still brewing inside of her. She wanted him properly punished, that was for sure.

"It's a long story Headmaster."

"Well you better start explaining."

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

It had taken nearly two hours to reiterate everything that had happened between Emolly and Blaise. Aubrielle started from the beginning, and by that she meant when they first started dating in fifth year. Blaise would pipe up at times, and say things like, "Oh she wanted the damn sex!" or, "It's not rape if she doesn't say 'no.'" This only fueled Aubrielle's anger and her determination to get the asshole kicked out of Hogwarts. What shocked everyone, though, is that Daphne testified against the Slytherin. She told the Headmaster about the screams and pleads that she heard behind closed doors. She told the professors about the unexplainable bruises that she noticed whenever Emolly would change in their room as well. Madame Pomfrey was called into the debate, revealing Emolly's past medical records at St. Mungo's; and when the healer said that that's where the witch was now (because her injuries were that severe), the Headmaster made his final decision on the matter. Blaise Zabini was expelled from the school, not necessarily due to raping the girl, but because Snape really didn't want anymore fights breaking out like that. He said it disturbed the school's delicate atmosphere and it wasn't healthy. Ginny, Neville, Aubrielle, Pansy, Goyle, Astoria, and Daphne all got two weeks worth of detention with Carrow. Since there was so much animosity built up between the two distinct groups of students, they would serve their punishment on separate nights. Daphne, due to how she revolted against her housemates, was assigned to serve detention with Ginny, Neville, and Aubrielle. The Slytherin witch was not welcomed into the Common Room that night. Pansy made a point to make her feel unwelcome in her own room, even though the witches had been friends for years. The betrayal was too much in Pansy's mind and she showed it by throwing all of Daphne's clothes and things out of the Slytherin dungeons. Daphne, unsure of where to go or what to do, took her belongings to the library and slept in a seldom-used cove. The little nook housed the University level potions books and since there were only five students in the whole school who were intelligent enough for that class, she figured she would be, for the most part, undisturbed.

(Friday, January 9th)

Aubrielle strutted down the library aisles, trying to keep her mind occupied. She had been told that she wasn't allowed to leave the school to go see Emolly at St. Mungo's, and it was tearing her apart. Worse than that, Madame Pomfrey wasn't telling her anything. The healer was not allowed to reveal her state of health to the seventh year because, quite frankly, she didn't know that much yet. The only thing that she told the Ravenclaw was that the witch had some serious internal problems and possibly a couple cracked ribs. For once, Aubrielle was happy that she had a huge assignment due for potions because it would distract her for an hour or so. She turned the corner that led to the University level books and unexpectantly tripped over something. She hit the ground with the thud and let out a groan. She heard someone let out a sigh and quickly jumped to her feet when she turned her head to see Daphne Greengrass sleeping on the floor. She drew her wand and pointed it at her as the Slytherin rubbed her eyes and sat up. She looked at the Ravenclaw and smirked.

"Put it down Song; I'm not going to do anything."

Aubrielle stared at her cautiously before slowly lowering her arm.

"Did you…sleep here last night?"

"Yeah. Pansy kicked me out of the Slytherin dorms."

"Oh."

Aubrielle caught herself feeling sorry for the girl. Obviously she was not welcome in her own house because she aided Emolly instead of Blaise. It was still unknown why she had done it; she didn't really give a good reason behind her actions, but Aubrielle was grateful for her decision nonetheless. The Slytherin stretched and finally stood up, brushing the lint of her sweater. She turned and looked at Aubrielle, who was still looking at her skeptically. The brunette finally put her want away.

"So, you're sleeping in the library?"

"Well where else am I suppose to go?"

She had a point. Maybe she could sleep in the hospital wing though. At least she would be on a cot and not on the floor.

"Uhm, right. Thanks, by the way, for what you did. You ultimately saved her life."

"Mmmm. Don't mention it."

"No, really. You were really courageous and brave to go against your friends and Astoria."

"Thanks. But like I said, don't mention it."

"Okay."

Aubrielle awkwardly reached up and grabbed the book that she had been wanting. Daphne was packing her things back into her trunk; she most likely kept everything locked away during the day, and the two witches didn't exchange any more words before the Ravenclaw hurried out of the library.

**Yep yep! Review! Again, sorry that these updates are coming out later and more spread out.**

**Give me a birthday present and review! :)**


	17. Recruiting Mission

**OVER 30 REVIEWS! WOO! :D Like I said earlier…I'm writing these more spread out. Also, I have started a new story! It's called Behind Close Doors and it is based around Ginny having an affair behind Harry's back after the war is over. Check it out if ya wanna! Review!**

Emolly was finally released from the hospital that following Sunday. She had two cracked ribs, which caused some major internal bleeding. She was very weak from the multiple magical surgeries she had endured and she was still sentenced to bed rest for the following week. She came back via train, since she was too frail to apparate, and was welcomed back into the Army with open arms and wet eyes. Aubrielle was so elated to see her best friend alive and well. She could tell the blonde was extremely sore from everything but she simply had to reveal the good news to her before she passed out on her cot.

"Blaise is gone. Expelled. He's not in the castle anymore and he can't hurt you."

The Slytherin didn't say anything when she heard the news; she simply broke down in her friend's arms and cried.

Detention was absolutely horrid. Carrow was not holding back by any means and was torturing the students every night. Sure, he wasn't using the Cruciatus curse anymore since he had been yelled at by McGonagall so badly for the last time, but he still had a plethora of dark hexes and curses. It was obvious in detention that Daphne was always isolated from everyone else. She would sit away from them or stand unreasonably far away. Even more, she didn't say a word to anyone; she didn't even scream when Carrow tortured her either.

Aubrielle had run into Daphne two other times at the library in the University books section. Her trunk was still there, with all her belongings, and she was obviously still sleeping in the cove. The Ravenclaw felt terrible. This girl, who stood up for what she felt was right, was now a complete outcast in the school. No one in the Slytherin house even looked at her, and she was hated by most of the other students in the school for being a notorious bitch. The more interactions Aubrielle had with the witch, however, the more she saw the good inside of her. She felt that Daphne's actions had changed her, in a sense. Now that she understood what was just and what wasn't, it was like she had suddenly matured into a responsible young woman. She was polite to anyone who talked her, and she didn't make her normal snide remarks. The more Aubrielle felt sorry for the seventh year, the more she wanted to do something about it.

(Wednesday, January 14th)

Aubrielle peered around the corner of the University cove and was relieved to see that Daphne wasn't there. She quickly turned her head to see the curious looks on Neville and Ginny's faces and waved them over to her. They skeptically walked towards her to see what the fuse was about. She stepped to the side so the two Army leaders could see why she had brought them here. Ginny frowned as she saw the out of place trunk. She walked closer to look at the golden initials embellished on it.

"DG? Are you telling me that this is Daphne Greengrass's trunk?"

"Yep."

"But why is it here?"

"She's been sleeping in this cove ever since she turned on Blaise."

Ginny turned back to look at the Ravenclaw, absolutely shocked. "What?"

Neville stepped forward to confirm the letters, not believing the words either. Why was a student sleeping in the library? How had no one else noticed? He looked around him at the multiple shelves of book and figured it out.

"Smart girl, sleeping in the University section. No one really goes in here."

"Except me. I was looking for a book for my potions class and tripped over her."

Ginny let out a sigh and shook her head. This was downright terrible. How could her own housemates, and her flesh and blood sister, turn on her like this? Did they really have the authority to kick her out of the dungeons anyway? The red head thought about Pansy and her bitchy antics. No, she didn't have the power to kick her classmate out, but she had the intimidation factor. Get on Pansy's bad side and the whole school will be against you in a matter of minutes. That was the power of manipulation and gossip for you. The sixth year crossed her arms over her chest and looked from Neville to Aubrielle.

"So why did you bring us here to show us this?"

"I have a proposal."

Neville raised an eyebrow, "Which is…?"

"I think Daphne should join the Army."

Both leaders were dead silent as they heard what Aubrielle had said. Her? Sure she had shown some courage last week, but could they really just add her to the Army without thinking about her past? She had been nothing but cruel and rude to anyone who wasn't a Slytherin since her first days at the castle. She had hurt many of them before through nasty rumors and false gossip. Why should they all the sudden just change their minds and assume that she was level headed forever? Ginny shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like this idea, she didn't like it one bit. She just always had animosity towards the witch and she wasn't sure if she would be able to just put it all behind her.

"C'mon guys. She needs a place to stay."

"I don't know Aubs-"

"Last week she double crossed her friends and her family for the sake of Emolly!"

"Right! That's what worries me! If she could betray her friends and sister like that so quickly, she could obviously do that to past enemies and strangers as well. I think she can't be trusted."

"She saved Emolly's life, Ginny. That has to mean something!"

"Yeah? And what if Pansy goes back to her and tells her she can have her room back and everything is forgiven? Do you think she would stay true to the Army or do you think she would go running back to her Slytherin family? Just think about that."

"I have been! I've been thinking about it for five days now! The girl needs something. She needs some_one_. She needs the Army."

"I don't trust her fully. It's too risky. Neville, what do you think?"

The wizard had been silent the entire time, leaned up against a bookcase. He had no idea what he thought. He thought that they could use another fighter, and Daphne was a damn good one at that, but he also saw where Ginny was coming from. Could she really be trusted? Up until last week, she had hated anyone who wasn't a Slytherin. Now, she was in no man's land all by herself. Neville wasn't one to just let a student go on like this either. Slytherin or not, it wasn't fair. The Gryffindor thought back to the battle in the Great Hall. That night, when she decided to go against her heart and use her mind, something had changed in her. He didn't want to seem corny, but he saw it in her eyes. That move that she had made was permanent, irreversible, and she knew the consequences. The two witches stared at him, waiting for his opinion. He knew that his word would cause controversy since Ginny obviously was against the issue, and Aubrielle was for it. He chewed on his bottom lip, nervous about the reaction he was going to get.

"Ask her."

"Ask who?"

"Daphne."

Aubrielle looked confused, "Ask Daphne what?"

"If she would like to join Dumbledore's Army."

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" Ginny threw her hands up in frustration, "she's a bloody Slytherin!" 

Aubrielle spun towards the red head, "So? So is Emolly! House has nothing to do with it."

"But it does! Don't you remember last year, in the Quidditch locker rooms? She fought against us! She cursed Luna and hexed Seamus. She'll always be on their side."

"Yeah? Then why wasn't she last week? Explain that."

"Listen… I don't know why she suddenly switched sides. But just because she sided with us once, doesn't mean she'll be on our side forever."

"Give her a chance Ginny."

"Until when? Until she turns on us and hurts one of our Army members?"

"She won't do tha-"

"Stop it! Both of you!"

Ginny looked at Neville through fiery eyes. She was not happy with what was going on here. She was a leader of the Army just as much as Neville was so her opinion deserved to be counted. She could tell by the look on his face that he felt he had some sort of extra authority. Maybe it was because he was a guy, maybe he felt it was because he was a year older than her, either way, she didn't like it. She looked over to find Aubrielle upset, but smirking at the same time. Ginny felt the anger boiling inside of her as it all fit together in her mind. She pointed her finger accusingly at the Ravenclaw.

"It's because of her, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You could give two shits whether or not Daphne's in the Army. You're only saying yes because it's what your bloody girlfriend wants!"

Aubrielle's jaw hit the floor. Seriously! Where had this come from?

"Ginny, you're out of your mind if you think I would put dozens on students in danger just because Aubrielle wanted something her way. C'mon! You know me better than that!"

"I thought I did but this…this is not something to be taken lightly and you decided on the matter in a matter of minutes! You'll do anything she tells you to as long as it keeps her happy."

Aubrielle was red in the face with anger. "Shut your mouth Weasley."

"No! I'm a leader of this group too! Neville's word isn't final!"

"Gin I never said that it was-"

"You know what? I can't do this right now. I'm too angry to think right now."

The red head looked at the two seventh years before turning on her heel and strutting out of the library. Neville and Aubrielle stood there, shocked, gawking at the witch's back. That was not how Aubrielle wanted the conversation to end. She looked at her boyfriend with her hands out in confusion. He turned to look at her before putting his hands in his pant pockets.

"Ask Daphne, just do it privately. If she wants to join, I'll try to convince Ginny again. If she doesn't, well, that's the end of that."

Aubrielle shook her head, understanding his request. He took a step closer to her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I'm not siding with you because you're my girlfriend. I'm siding with you because I saw the same look in her eyes that you did."

He gave her a loving glance before exiting the cove and heading back to the Room of Requirement.

(Thursday, January 15th)

Aubrielle was sitting in the University cove, waiting for Daphne to get there. The Slytherin had no idea that the Ravenclaw was waiting for her, and the witch wasn't sure how she would react. How do you even start off a conversation like this one anyway? _'Hey. So…uh…I know we're not friends, you've actually been harassing my best friend since fifth year, but would you like to join a secret society that I'm in? We live in the Room of Requirement so you would have a cot to sleep on. Friends?' _She lightly rolled her eyes. Yeah right, like this would be that easy. Ginny had calmed down a little since her blow up at Neville the night before, but if she knew that Aubrielle was recruiting Daphne behind her back, well, she would be an uproar again. The brunette tapped her fingers methodically on the table, trying to pass the time. How long was the Slytherin going to be anyway? She sat there for a couple of minutes and got lost in her thoughts. She thought about Luna a lot, and whether she was alive and well. Things in the Army were strained without her. She was always the one that kept everyone in check; the motherly figure, so to speak. Yesterday was an instance where Aubrielle was longing for Luna's presence. If she were a part of that conversation, there would have been a definite conclusion to Aubrielle's offer because she would have been the tiebreaker. Instead, she was being held captive by god knows who, Neville and Ginny weren't talking to each other, and Aubrielle was waiting for the Slytherin for a secret confrontation. She made an audible sigh just as Daphne turned the corner and entered the cove. She jumped a little at the sight of the Ravenclaw and narrowed her eyes.

"Have you been waiting for me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Aubrielle motioned for the chair across from her and watched as the Slytherin tentatively sat down. She smirked as she saw Daphne consciously check for her wand. Smart girl.

"Listen, I know we're not friends and I know that you haven't been nice to any of my friends over the past years, but I can't stand to see you sleep on the floor in here."

"Then don't watch me."

"I'm offering you a bed and a chance to redeem yourself Greengrass. Don't get snotty with me."

Daphne's eyes widened and Aubrielle could tell that she had her hooked. The witch leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"Alright Song, you have my attention. Details."

"Well obviously you aren't welcome in the Slytherin dorms. I know of a place where you can sleep and live, but there are conditions."

"Name them."

"You'll be living in a large room with about 30 other students. The kids range from second year to seventh year and there are kids from all four houses."

"Even Slytherin?"

"The only Slytherin is Emolly."

"Ah. So is this the same place that she has been staying at all school year?"

"Yep."

The witch exhaled. Why was Aubrielle being so sketchy about all of this?

"Spit it out Song. What is this? Some secret club?"

"It's a secret Army, actually. Dumbledore's Army."

Daphne gasped, "That still exists?"

Aubrielle grinned broadly and shook her head. The Slytherin sat back in her chair and crossed her arm over her chest. "I thought Umbridge ended that during fifth year."

"She did. And we restarted it this year. Well, not me. Neville, Ginny, and Luna did. Anyway, you're a brilliant witch Daphne, there's no denying it, and I am giving you an invitation to join. You would have to be properly inducted, of course, but the offer is out there for you to think about."

"Wait a minute…you want _me? _But I fought against you no longer than a year ago in the locker rooms!"

"I know. But you also fought against your friends and your own sister for the sake of Emolly; someone who you've always hated. People change Daphne and with this war at our doorstep, well, now is the time to fight for what you believe in."

The witch sat there, mulling things over in her mind. She really had nowhere to go and no one to turn to, so why not? Her own flesh and blood wasn't talking to her and she wasn't welcome anywhere else. Thing is, she most likely wouldn't be welcomed into the Army with open arms either. Sure, Aubrielle seemed like she had already forgiven her, but the rest of the students body hadn't, that was for sure. She would be putting herself in a terribly awkward and isolated situation, but wasn't she already in one just like that right now? Aubrielle was patiently waited for a response, whether it be an acceptance, rejection, or a maybe. She wanted Daphne in the Army because she wanted to help the poor girl, but she didn't want the Slytherin to feel pressured into joining. Suddenly, the Ravenclaw got an answer.

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Just tell me what your final decision is either way."

"Okay. And I should come to you?"

"Yes. And please, keep this a secret. We've been working so hard to keep the Army concealed all year and if you go messing up that delicate balance…well, for a better lack of words, you're dead."

Daphne nervously shook her head when she heard the seriousness in the seventh year's voice. "You don't have to worry about me blabbing. It's not like I have anyone to talk to anyway…"

"You have me; I'm just saying." The brunette stood up. "Just give me an answer in a week's time, yeah?"

"Okay, sounds good."

Aubrielle nodded her head, smiled at the girl, and was about to head out of the cove when she felt Daphne grab her wrist. She turned around to see a small grin come on her face.

"Thank you Aubrielle…for caring and what not."

"Anytime Daphne."

The Slytherin let go of her and watched as she walked out of the library, her head spinning with unanswered questions and big decision to make.

o.O.o

"She didn't give you an answer?" 

"No. She said she'd 'think about it.'"

"Huh. I thought for sure she would say yes."

"I think she's too proud to accept help from anyone."

"That could be it."

Emolly was lying down on her cot while Aubrielle was sitting in a chair right next to her. The Ravenclaw, of course, had to make sure it was okay with Emolly if Daphne could be considered for the Army since the blonde had the most history with her. Feeling so appreciative towards the witch, she immediately encouraged the idea. Emolly was extremely forgiving in that sense. The only request from the seventh year was that Aubrielle tell her everything about the conversations. Aubrielle chewed on her bottom lip as she mulled things over. The brunette wasn't quite sure why, but she desperately wanted the Slytherin to join. After all, it was another fighter. That was the biggest picture. House status aside, the Army was in need of more talented students. She looked back at Emolly, who was drifting off into sleep, and sighed.

"Go to bed Em and get some rest. We'll talk about this later when you can keep your eyes open." 

The witch gave a grateful smile, "Thanks Aubs."

In a matter of seconds, she was asleep and dreaming.

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Kay…thanks for reading. :)**


	18. All Alone

**Dear readers, I am terribly sorry that this update is so late. I am trying to keep these consecutive, but it's getting harder with the amount of schoolwork that my professors insist on giving me. Sorry again but I hope you still love it nonetheless! Review! **

(Monday, January 19th)

It took Daphne the weekend to decide on the offer that Aubrielle had laid out for her. Her options were slim at this point, either she join the Army or stay in the library, and she really had her back up against the wall. If she stayed in the library cove, she would be completely and utterly alone with no one on her side. If she were to join the D.A, she would at least be apart of something and have a purpose. Even more so, she would be sleeping in a concealed room, on a cot, and among fellow students. Thing is, she knew there were going to people in the Army that didn't approve of her being there and she would definitely be putting herself into an awkward situation. She had weighed both options in her head extensively and finally came to a conclusion. She spotted Aubrielle walking in the halls, heading to her next class, and quickly walked up behind her. Without the Ravenclaw knowing, Daphne pushed her into a small cove as soon as they both turned the corner. Aubrielle hit the bench with a thud and quickly whipped her wand out, not knowing what to expect. When she saw the Slytherin, she put her wand back and her face grew serious.

"I'm guessing you've made a decision."

"I have."

"Well?" 

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest, "I want to join."

A wicked grin came over the seventh year's face, which frightened the Slytherin a tad. Aubrielle stood up and brushed off the invisible dirt on her Hogwarts robe.

"Meet me here, in this exact cove, at around 8 tonight. Bring your trunk and all your belongings."

The witch walked past Daphne and out of the cove, leaving the Slytherin wondering if she made the right choice or not.

o.O.o

"She said yes?"

"Yep."

"Great, great."

"How the Hell are you going to tell Ginny? The induction is tonight…"

"I'll figure something out."

"Do you want my help?"

"No, don't worry about it. Go tell Emolly the news."

"Alright. Whatever you say."

o.O.o

Emolly smiled wide as her best friend revealed the news to her. Even though the Slytherin had hated Daphne for the better part of her time at Hogwarts, Emolly couldn't stand to see the girl go through what she was going through. She was completely exiled in the school, even by her own sister. To make things worse, Pansy started spreading multiple rumors about Daphne, once of which said that she was hiding because she was pregnant with Blaise's child. Yeah, Pansy was that big of a bitch. Since she was so intimidating too, most everyone believed her. The Army members seemed to be the only ones who saw straight through the lies.

Sure, Emolly was still going to be very cautious around the witch, she had every right to be, but she also believed in giving people a fresh start, a second chance. She was going to do that exact thing for her fellow housemate and she didn't care if people thought she was being way too generous or kind; she felt it was ultimately the right thing to do.

o.O.o

Neville nervously rubbed his palms together as he walked towards the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall wasn't that busy, since the lunch hour had just passed, but the wizard could still spot the bright hair of his best friend. Ginny had her head down, scribbling away on a roll of parchment, as he sat down across from her. They hadn't talked since the library incident and he was terrified of her reaction. She perked her head up to see who it was, and instantly regretted doing so. She set back to her work, pretending that the seventh year wasn't even there. He cleared his throat, tired of her petty dramatics, and rolled his eyes when she didn't respond. He made a sigh and put his elbows on the table.

"We need to talk about something."

The witch stayed silent but lifted her head up to look at him. He took a second to pause before continuing.

"Aubrielle talked to Daphne and asked her if she would be willing to join the Army…and she said yes."

Ginny quickly rolled up her parchment and furiously shoved it into her bag. She packed up her things and excused herself from the table without any words. She bolted out of the Great Hall but Neville was following close behind. This was not going to be the end of this conversation. He needed a response from her and he was going to get it today. Hell, he was inducting Daphne at 8 tonight, whether Ginny liked it or not, so she needed to get over herself. She was heading towards the Room of Requirement but couldn't get the password out before Neville caught up to her.

"Would you say something? You're little dramatics are getting annoying."

The red head quickly spun around to face him. She was so full of anger that her face matched the color of her hair.

"Little dramatics? Do you realize what you are doing? You're letting Miss Bitch join the Ar-"

Neville quickly leapt forward and slammed his hand over her mouth to stop her from finishing her sentence. After all, they were in a hallway with a speckle of students about and they had tried so hard to keep the Army a secret. They weren't about to blow their cover now. He gave her a threatening look but didn't remove his hand. He got close to her face and talked in a whisper.

"Are you mad? Do you want the entire school to know that we're leading a secret organization? C'mon Gin, use your head."

He finally took his hand away and turned to look over his shoulder to make sure that no one was watching. As soon as the last student turned the corner, he quickly spat the password.

"We're fighting to stay alive."

The doors formed and Ginny made it a point to knock into Neville before opening the doors and running inside. She flung her bag onto her cot with full intention of continuing her rant.

"You went behind my back and recruited her! Even after I said that this was a bad idea…you still went ahead with it! How the Hell am I suppose to trust you!"

"You need to trust my judgment! We need more fighters! Period."

"What's all the shouting about?"

Neville turned to see Seamus and Dean walking towards him. The two wizards had concerned looks on their faces and Dean had his arms crossed over his broad chest. Looks like they were in the Room the entire time.

"Who'd you recruit Neville?"

"Daphne Greengrass."

There was a palpable shock that hung in the air. Seamus and Dean both stood there wide-eyed, as they took in the words. Really, neither of them could say anything that would change the situation. Ultimately, Neville was the leader and what he said was final. Ginny was supposed to have the same liberties at the wizard, Dean thought, so he understood why she would be so upset. He unfolded his arms and ran his fingers through his short hair.

"Are you sure this is a good idea mate? I know that she fought with you guys in the Great Hall but… I don't know. I'm kinda siding with Ginny here. Can we really trust her?"

"Thank you!" Ginny threw her hands up in frustration, at least happy that one person sided with her. Neville looked at Dean, shocked that he didn't see the bigger picture.

"Would you guys stop holding her to her past? She's different now and besides, we NEED more fighters."

"What makes you so sure that she's changed?"

Neville wanted to punch Dean. Why was he questioning him so much? Neville looked over at Ginny to see her smirking. She was obviously enjoying the fact that it was two against one right now. Seamus just observed, silent.

"Look, she's been exiled by her own friends and family. She's been sleeping in the library! She testified against Blaise and helped get him expelled from school. How much more proof do you need?" Neville looked around at the quiet faces, finally landing on Seamus. "And what about you? You haven't said a thing."

"I've been thinking."

"And?"

Seamus exhaled and let his arms fall to his sides. "I think we should let her in."

Ginny made a grunt of frustration and rolled her eyes.

"FINE! Fine! Induct the bitch, okay? But if she goes A wall and turns on us, don't come crying to me."

With that, the red grabbed her bag and stomped out of the Room.

o.O.o

Aubrielle walked towards the cove and saw Daphne sitting there with her trunk at her feet. She was nervously shaking her leg, unsure what to expect. She was extremely anxious about the whole thing, knowing that she was going to go into an environment with a lot of pent up hostility towards her. Anyone who wasn't a Slytherin hated her, well most everyone, and the one Slytherin that was in this secret Army she had picked on and bullied for years. '_Great. What have I gotten myself into?' _

"Ready?"

The Slytherin nodded her head and stood up. She grabbed her trunk and wheeled it behind her as Aubrielle led her through the halls.

"We live in the Room of Requirement. It's protected by a password-encoded ward. To get in just say…" They had reached the blank wall and stopped. Daphne looked around in confusion.

"We're fighting to stay alive."

There was a sound of cement giving way and her jaw dropped as two large doors appeared before her eyes. _'The Room of Requirement. Holy shit.' _Aubrielle opened the doors and led Daphne inside. The entire Army was in there, standing behind a glowing line. Aubrielle gently took Daphne's trunk and wheeled it off the side. The Slytherin felt herself lightly shaking. This was so intimidating. There were about 30 people standing in front of her, all staring, mostly likely judging her. Neville had a velvet pouch in his hands and was standing prominently at the head. Aubrielle situated the witch's trunk and bounced over on the other side of the line. At least someone was happy to see her there. Neville cleared his throat and began the ceremony.

"Hello Daphne, welcome to the Room of Requirement. Induction is fairly quick and shouldn't take long. First, everyone must recite the oath for Dumbledore's Army. Repeat after me… In Honor of THE Albus Dumbledore…"

Daphne finally found her voice and followed directions. There was a loud response as the entire Army said the oath.

"In honor of THE Albus Dumbledore…" 

"I promise to fight for what is right and be strong against Dark Magic and its influences."

"I promise to fight for what is right and be strong against Dark Magic and its influences."

"By becoming a member of Dumbledore's Army…"

"By becoming a member of Dumbledore's Army…" 

"I promise to swear to secrecy and I will not reveal anything that happens in this Room."

"I promise to swear to secrecy and I will not reveal anything that happens in this Room."

"And I promise to fight for my fellow members."

"And I promise to fight for my fellow members."

"Mischief managed."

"Mischief managed."

The seventh year watched wide-eyed as every single student took out a gold coin and held it in the palm of their hand. Neville reached into the pouch and took an identical coin out.

"Daphne Greengrass."

Aubrielle smiled as the witch stepped forward. She stood in front of Neville and held out her sweating hand. She took the shiny coin and placed it in her palm. She turned it over with her fingers, looking at the detail work. On one side was the Hogwarts crest; complete with all four mascots, and on the other side was a large D.A. She looked up at the Gryffindor.

"Congratulations. You are now an official member of Dumbledore's Army. You can step over the line now."

The Slytherin took a single step over the glowing line and it was almost as if there were a force field surrounding her. As soon as she stepped forward, everyone stepped back. The only people who stayed put were Neville, Emolly, and Aubrielle. Even Nielah was cautious about the whole thing and that child never seemed to have a care in the world. As soon as the witch was officially a member and everything was said and done, the rest of the Army members dispersed to do their own things. Daphne stood there; still unsure of what had just happened. The ceremony was so simple, so quick, so painless, yet she knew that it meant so much to these students. Neville pulled out a rolled parchment from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Here. These are a list of spells that you need to be able to perform. If you have trouble with any of them, feel free to ask anyone for help."

She quickly scanned the list of enchantments, letting her eyes widen at the difficulty of some.

"I have to be able to produce a full body Patronus?"

"We aim for full body, but if you can only make a shield than that is fine as well."

"But I've never even tried to make one."

"Ask Emolly. She's the best witch I've ever seen when it comes to making a Patronus."

Daphne looked over at the blonde. She was talking to Aubrielle, most likely about her, while working on some school assignment. How should she even approach her? She had bullied her for years and while Daphne knew that the seventh year had forgiven her, she still felt extremely guilty about everything. She looked back at Neville and gave him a small smile of appreciation. He walked over to the duo and kissed Aubrielle on the forehead before joining them on the cot. The Slytherin stood there, still unsure of what to do, but spun around when someone cleared their throat behind her. Ginny Weasley was standing there with her arms stubbornly across her chest. Daphne raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um…yes?"

"Listen, some people may be fooled by your sudden act of kindness, but I'm not."

"What are you talking about?" 

"I'm saying…if you put one toe out of line or I feel like you are threatening any of the other Army members in anyway, I will not hold back. You made a pact to protect every student here and if you don't follow that, well, I won't follow the rules either. Understand?"

Daphne nervously shook her head, terrified of the red head. She had always found Ginny intimidating, but this only reinforced her fear. Daphne could say, in all honesty, that Ginny was the only witch that she feared at Hogwarts. Even worse now, the Gryffindor was watching her like a hawk. Ginny walked away and the Slytherin searched for her trunk. Not by coincidence, it was on the bed two down from Emolly. She walked over to her new sleeping quarters and wrapped herself in the blanket. This was all too surreal. She wished she were back in the Slytherin dungeons, still friends with Pansy and her sister, still crushing on Blaise, only this time; they weren't a bunch of pompous assholes. She curled into the fetal position and wanted nothing more than to become invisible. Maybe if she wished hard enough, she could turn back time and make it so none of this had happened. If only.

(Tuesday, January 20th)

It was bizarre waking up in the Room of Requirement, almost as if it were some kind of strange dream. Even more weird was waking up next to Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. Daphne had never been in a situation like this one, ever. When she turned over she immediately saw Emolly sitting up in her bed. She was packing up her bag and noticed Daphne looking at her.

"Good morning. What to go get breakfast with me?"

Daphne subconsciously snorted. This was too good to be true. "Sure."

She climbed out of her cot and quickly changed into her gray, white, black, and emerald green school uniform. She quickly brushed through her hair, grateful that it didn't need much work in the mornings, and slung her bag over her shoulder. She smiled at the blonde before heading out of the large doors and towards the Great Hall. They walked in silence and sat at the end of the long Slytherin table. Goyle, Astoria, Crabbe, and Pansy were at the other end, shooting dangers with their eyes at the two witches. Daphne felt like shrinking in her seat. Emolly looked at her and gave a reassuring glance.

"Ignore them. Remember that you're the bigger person in this situation."

"Then how come I don't feel like it?" 

"Because it's new to you."

Emolly stacked some eggs and toast on her plate while Daphne picked at a small pile of various fruits. She snuck a glance at the blonde when she wasn't looking. She was beautiful; Emolly, and Daphne could see why Blaise had obsessed over her for so long. Why would he want to hurt her though? Daphne had realized how smart, funny, and caring she was, so why would Blaise try and destroy that? She just couldn't wrap her head around it. She started cursing herself in her head. She had done that exact thing. Daphne had tried so hard to crack the witch because of what? Because she was having sex with the guy that she liked? No, she wasn't having sex; she was being raped. There's a difference. She suddenly spoke up, asking something that had bothering her ever since Ginny had confronted her the night prior.

"Emolly…not everyone wanted me to join the Army, right?"

The seventh year sighed. "No, not everyone was for it. Granted, not everyone knew about it. Ginny was the most adamant on keeping you out."

"I figured. She came up to me last night after my induction and said that if I stepped out of line, she would hurt me."

"That's Ginny for you."

There was a slight pause. Daphne hung her head and stared at her lap. "Emolly?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you forgive me so quickly?"

The blonde bit her lip, contemplating her answer. "Because you ultimately saved me from Blaise. You made the conscious decision to go against what you have known to do and did what you felt was right. Besides, I feel that everyone deserves a second chance in life, a clean slate. This is your fresh start with me Daphne."

She put a forkful of eggs in her mouth and that was that.

**Hope you liked it! Review! :)**


	19. Aberforth Dumbledore

**Hey guys! It seems that fewer and fewer of you are reading and reviewing. I know the story is going through a sort of dry spell. My apologies. BUT IT WILL GET MORE EXCITING I PROMISE! Please please please keep reading. AND, if you review, it gives the story more exposure and that would be awesome. This is going to be one of those times when you realize that this is MY story so things are going to happen differently from the book. Please keep an open mind as you read. :) Hope you like it!**

(Friday, January 23rd)

Neville was sitting in front of the portrait, trying to wrap his head around what had happened the day prior. He was a little upset to see that the young girl wasn't there at the moment; instead the portrait showed what looked like a never-ending hallway, because even though she never said anything to him, he still felt like someone was listening to his problems. This portrait that hung above the fireplace was so mysterious. Sometimes it showed the lady in a garden; sometimes it just showed a garden, and sometimes it was the hallway that he was seeing now. He never quite understood the purpose of the painting, but the Room of Requirement had put it there for a reason so he tried to not question it that much. As he stared at the nothingness of the hallway, the dispute from yesterday played in his mind like a movie reel. They were practicing their spells by dueling each other when Ginny called out Daphne in front of the entire Army.

"_I pick Greengrass as my opponent."_

"_Ginny…please call me Daphne."_

"_We'll see…Greengrass."_

_Daphne nervously stepped in front of the red head. Ginny already had her wand pointed at her, obviously relishing the fact that she was about to hex the girl that she hated so much. Daphne took her own wand out of her robe pocket and gripped it firmly. She knew that the Gryffindor wasn't going to hold back and she needed to be ready for a frenzy of spells and hexes. Knowing it was customary to bow before dueling, Daphne bent over. Ginny, on the other hand, saw this as her time to make a move. She wasn't afraid of Daphne, quite the opposite really, and while she knew that the Slytherin was a strong witch, she still wanted to let her know that she was not welcome here. So, Ginny hexed her while she wasn't prepared._

"_Stupefy!"_

_Daphne gasped as she shot backwards. Who does that! She coughed as the wind got knocked out of her. Ginny grinned; she wasn't done yet.  
><em>

"_GIN! What the Hell was that?"  
><em>

"_A lesson. Here's another one-"_

"_NO!"_

_Despite Neville's attempts to get her to play fair, the witch had other plans in mind._

"_Levicorpus."_

_The Slytherin started hovering in the air. She nervously flailed her arms, scared shitless with the unknown of Ginny's intentions. Ginny let her concentration slip and soon the witch was falling onto the hard floor. She landed on her stomach, again gasping for air. Why did the red head have so much hate towards her anyway?_

"_Ginny, you stop right now!"_

"_Stay out of this Neville!"  
><em>

_Ginny waited for Daphne to stand up, wanting to see the scared look on her face when she hit her with the next hex. Daphne knew another spell was coming, however, and beat Ginny to it. Wheezing, she was able to get a curse out._

"_Incarcerous."_

_The ropes shot out the tip of her wand and wrapped the witch up. She screamed out in fury, frustrated that the Slytherin had beaten her that time._

"_Let me out."_

"_What? I thought I was allowed to fight back." Daphne hacked and coughed, her stomach still acting up to the harsh fall she had just experienced. She bent over and put her hands on her knees to try and find her normal breathing rate before looking up at the angry Gryffindor._

"_What do have against me anyway? I never did anything to you personally."  
><em>

"_That's none of your business."_

"_I believe it is since it effects me just as much as it effects you."_

"_You're a bitch!"  
><em>

"_Ow. Never heard that before-"_

"_Shut it Greengrass. Nobody wants you here."  
><em>

_Daphne stood up straight and noticed that Aubrielle was standing next to her. The Ravenclaw looked from Ginny to Daphne._

_"I want her here."  
><em>

_Neville stepped foreword, "I do too."_

_Emolly did the same, "I want her here and she bullied me for years! I was able to forgive her Ginny. Why can't you do the same? Suck up your damn pride for once-"_

"_Pride? PRIDE?" She was thrashing against the ropes now, wanting nothing more than to break free and hex the witch into next year. "You…you…you-"_

"_I, what? I never did anything to you Ginny!"_

_Daphne was done holding back. She wanted her past to stop deciding her future. She had admitted to herself that she had changed now. She was a different person. She knew what side she was fighting on. Ginny needed to realize that too. She never would though; she was too stubborn._

"_Neville, get me out of these damn ropes!"_

_Neville just stood there, staring at his friend. If he let her go, she would surely hurt Daphne and he really didn't want two of his best female fighters in the hospital wing. He crossed his arms over his chest and Ginny's eyes widened._

"_Neville, I said, get me out."  
><em>

"_As long as you promise not to hurt Daphne."  
><em>

_The witch stopped thrashing, thoroughly shocked. She knew that he was a forgiving person, but she always thought that he would have her back, even in situations like this._

"_You…you're going to take her side?"_

"_I'm not taking a side Gin I just don't want anyone to get hur-"_

"_Bollocks! You lying, backstabbing, git!" She finally managed to break herself free from the ropes once she got her wand positioned correctly. She stood up and furiously flung the ropes off her body. She stomped over to Neville who had his wand raised and ready. He had no problem fighting Ginny to keep her from hurting someone. "Fine! I'm done, out of here. You can handle the damn Army all by yourself since I'm obviously always in the wrong!" With those words, she grabbed her trunk, stuffed everything inside of it, and raced back to the Gryffindor Tower._

Neville shook his head, trying to sort out everything. It was true; Ginny wasn't in the Army anymore. Well, she wasn't for the time being. Only time could tell if she would change her mind and calm down. He took a deep breath and exhaled. What in Merlin's name was he going to do? He couldn't do this on his own. He looked up to find the girl occupying the painting once more. He jumped a little; he hadn't seen her return.

"Help."

Hearing him, the girl nodded her head and disappeared. Neville quickly stood up, unsure of what was happening.

"Wait, what? Where are you going? What is going on?"

She didn't answer him and instead turned around without saying a word. He quickly shot his hands to his head and gripped is hair. What the Hell? She had never responded to him, at all. She might have blinked a couple of times but that was it. The second he asks for help she does something? Well, he was about to find out the purpose of this damn portrait. He paced in front of the fireplace, knowing it was the only thing that he could really do at the time. He looked up to see the girl in the distance, walking back to her spot, only this time…was someone with her? The wizard squinted, trying to make out the large figure. It seemed to be a man with a very long beard. He kind of looked like…Dumbledore. Neville shook his head, no, that could not be. Dumbledore was dead and buried in the ground. Than who was that? Much to his surprise, the large portrait slowly swung open. Neville, on instinct, quickly whipped his wand out of his pocket, ready to defend himself if that be the case. Neville raised his eyebrows when he saw the elder man standing in the threshold. It looked as if there was a long passage behind him. Like the one the Gryffindor had seen in the portrait so many times? The old man waved his wand and the stones of the wall popped out so he could step down from the hole. Neville just stood there the entire time with his mouth agape.

"Shut your mouth boy, I'm not the Dark Lord or anything."

The wizard was finally on the ground and standing in front of the seventh year. He sized him up mentally, wondering if he could take him or not.

"Who…who are you, exactly?"

"Aberforth Dumbledore."

"Dum-"

"Yes Dumbledore. Albus was my brother."

"You're Dumbledore's brother?" Neville didn't even know that the old headmaster had a brother.

"I just said that, didn't I? What's your name boy?"

"Neville, sir. Neville Longbottom."

"Oh." There was a slight pause before Aberforth continued. "I'm sorry about your parents. Good people they were."

"Thank you but, you know my parents?" 

"Oh yes, wonderful couple. It's a tragedy what they went through."

"Yeah…it was… I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

The wizard went and sat on the nearest cot and put his hands in his lap.

"Well, you asked for help. I'm here."

"Wait…" Neville turned to look at the girl in the portrait. She had the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. "You mean to tell me, that if I would have said 'help me' at the beginning of the school year, you would have come?"

"Yes."

"Are you part of the Order?"

"It's, eh, complicated."

Neville went and sat down next to Aberforth on the cot. This whole time, when they had all assumed the portrait was simply a girl standing in a garden, there was really someone on the other side to help them. Even more, there was a secret passageway that could possibly lead out of the castle. This was all too surreal for Neville to handle. Aberforth looked around the Room and surveyed the cots, hammocks, trunks, and school supplies that were strewn about. The Room was quite unkempt.

"What kind of operation do you have going here anyway? Ariana says that you duel each other and-"

"Sorry, who?"

"Ariana. The girl you've been seeing all the time. That's my sister."

"Dumbledore had a sister too?" 

"Yes! Now will you keep up? She says that there are many fights that happen in here. She told me there was a big blowout just yesterday-"

"Oh yes. That. That's why I need help. I just don't know what to do. How can I possibly keep everyone happy?"

"You can't."

"I know. Anyway, this is Dumbledore's Army. We created it, well, by 'we' I mean Harry, Ron, and Hermione, back in fifth year when Umbridge was controlling the school. Now the trio is gone but the evil is still here. So, Ginny, Luna, and myself got it started again. We're teaching students how to properly fight against the Dark Arts so that when this war hits, they'll have a better chance of making it out alive."

"I figured it was something along those lines. What's it like having Snape as Headmaster?" 

"Rough. It's not him that everyone is afraid of though; it's the Carrows. They're bloody brutal."

Aberforth glanced at Neville. He was a big kid, not fat though, just…big. He obviously had some muscle to him and was sculpted like a well-bred teenager. He had small bruises and cuts on his face and arms, from what, the wizard had no clue. He seemed intelligent enough and if he was tackling this whole Army thing by himself, well that was a damn good leader as any. The boy turned to look at him and Aberforth could see the appreciation in his eyes. It was obvious that this boy was a good, genuine Gryffindor through and through.

"You know, Neville, that passage that I came through connects to Hogsmeade. You can use it to get food and other necessities so you can keep your Army members healthy."

"Really?" The glow in the wizard's eyes was the brightest it had been in a while. 

"Really. Just talk to Ariana. She can come get me. Likewise, if I need you for something, she will summon you."

"Thank you so much Mr. Dumbledore. This is…is…incredible!"

The old wizard stood and started walking back up the exposed stones towards the portrait. Ariana swung it open and soon the man was standing back at the entrance of the tunnel. Neville stood up and walked towards the fireplace.

"Don't mention it. Best tell the rest of the students though so they understand what's going on."

"Of course. Will you be around tomorrow night? Say, eight?"

"Just ask Ariana."

Aberforth winked at the seventh year before turning around and disappearing behind the closing painting. Neville couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

(Saturday, January 24th)

Aubrielle had absolutely no idea what was going on. All she knew was that Neville called an emergency meeting at eight o'clock and he even had begged Ginny to come back to the Room, even if it was just for that meeting. The Ravenclaw wasn't sure if it was some kind of hoax to get the sixth year back permanently, or if there was really something important that Neville had discovered. Either way, all the Army members were buzzing with anticipation. Aubrielle was towards the back of the group, standing on a cot to see over their heads, with Emolly and Daphne. The two Slytherins were just as perplexed as everyone else, only Daphne had a concerned look on her face. Obviously she had a fear of being attacked by Ginny again and while she felt the Gryffindor was an enormous asset to the Army, she was still a hazard in the witch's eyes. She clung to Emolly and Aubrielle for protection and, she had to admit, for friendship. The two girls had welcomed her with open arms and they were really starting to create a strong bond. Daphne had to admit, they were already better friends towards her than Pansy ever was.

Neville was at the head of the group, facing away from the students. He looked up at the portrait, which was occupied by the young woman, and nodded his head. She acknowledged the gesture and turned to leave. Aubrielle's jaw dropped as she watched the girl walk down the garden path before disappearing out of sight. The Room was instantly filled with the tone of surprise. Neville cleared his throat.

"Hello all, I know you are wondering what is happening with the portrait, but just be patient. You are about to find out."

Now the girl was coming back, but Aubrielle could make out another figure walking next to her. As they got closer, the painting began to swing open. There was a collective gasp as a passage way was revealed and an older looking man stepped into view. He had a long gray beard and beady eyes. The seventh year couldn't help but think about the resemblance that he had to their late Headmaster. The old man stepped onto the jutted stones and made his way down to ground level. Everyone watched, completely shell shocked, as he came and stood next to Neville.

"This, everyone, is Aberforth Dumbledore. He is Headmaster Dumbledore's brother. Now, I understand that you all want answers. I will give them to you, in due time. For right now, just listen."

The students grew silent, unsure of what to expect. Aubrielle just found herself wondering two things. One, when had Neville met this man, and two, why hadn't he told her as soon as he had?

"I know that all of you have been puzzled by the portrait that has been hanging on this wall. Sometimes you see a girl in a garden, sometimes just the garden itself, and sometimes a vast hallway that looks to have no end. Well, yesterday, while mulling over the events that had happened between two specific witches…"

Daphne turned a deep red and she could see Ginny clench her fists.

"I asked for help. Much to my surprise, the young woman disappeared and brought back this man right here. I'm sure you could all imagine my shock and confusion. It turns out, that behind this portrait, there is a tunnel that leads to Hogsmeade."

The volume skyrocketed as the students began debating about the passage. It could be used as a hiding place if the war were to come here, or an escape route. They could smuggle friends into the castle or family members if need be. They could get out of this Hellhole and run away. It seemed to the members that the possibilities were endless.

"Please stay quiet! Now, Aberforth here is on our side. He's fighting for the same cause that we are and he is willing to help. Through the use of this secret passage, he will be able to acquire food, medical supplies, and other materials for us. With this comes rules though."

There was a collective moan from the crowd.

"I am the only one allowed to actually go through the tunnel unless I say otherwise. This is very important. I understand that you all want to explore or go back into the 'real word' but that is way too risky. It is imperative that we keep this a secret, especially from any and all death eaters that are stationed in Hogsmeade. Also, if you need something, and it has to be a necessity, you come to me and I will write it down if I feel it is important enough. Do not simply go up to the portrait and ask for it. I cannot stress this enough, we cannot take advantage of this situation. We have to keep this well hidden at all costs. Do you all understand?"

Everyone nodded their heads, understanding the type of advantage that they had just gained. This was huge. This was the only hidden passage that led out of the school and it was up to them to keep it a secret. In a way, Aubrielle felt like a secret agent. It made her feel like a badass, to be blunt.

After Neville was done explaining the passage, Aberforth was able to talk to the students and introduce himself. He seemed like a kind man who genuinely wanted to help. After the wizard had gone back through the portrait, the students dispersed and began gossiping on Neville's latest find. It was the biggest news that they had heard all term. The Gryffindor walked over to Aubrielle, who was now sitting on her cot instead of standing, and placed a gently hand on her knee. She looked up at him and connected with his eyes. It was a silent conversation, a mutual understanding, and Neville cupped his girlfriends face before bringing her towards him in a heated kiss. There was so much fire, so much energy, that the witch's hair stood on end. This was all too real, with the severity of the wizarding world's current situation, and the discovery of the passage made it even more intense. No one could find out, no one, and everyone knew why. If the information got into the hands of the wrong person, death eaters, and Voldemort himself, could easily flood into the castle. This war was coming, that was painfully obvious, and the couple knew that moments like these would be rare and far between.

**Review por favor!**


	20. Small Moments Matter

**Smut in this one! ;) Enjoy!**

o.O.o

Having Aberforth in alliance with the Army was both uplifting and stressful. Members were constantly coming to Neville with requests for various items and it was causing him to stay on edge. Aberforth immediately provided the Army with some very useful essentials to begin with, such as heavy wool blankets, new inkwells, and a steady supply of powerful medical supplies. Neville could access most of the plants through Professor Sprout and his teaching assistant job, but not in quantities such as these. Overall, having someone on the outside, someone who could give them resources and knowledge of what was really happening outside the castle walls, was a very useful and wonderful thing.

Ginny was still the most stubborn girl that Neville had ever met. She was not coming back to the Army any time soon and she never failed to remind the seventh year of her intentions. She said that it was either her or Daphne, which caused problems. If Daphne left, Aubrielle and Emolly would follow suit. That would mean not only losing three of the Army's most advance and skilled female fighters, but losing some damn good role models as well. Besides, Neville was Ginny's best friend and he knew her better than anyone else. He knew that she would come back because her conscious wouldn't let her stay away for too long. Ginny always knew what side to fight for and he knew that she would come back eventually.

Due to the drama with Ginny and the excitement with Aberforth, Aubrielle and Neville completely forgot about their anniversary on the twenty-fifth. It just went by without them even thinking about it. It wasn't a really important one anyway, what, 14 months or something like that? Besides, they were at that point in their relationship where they didn't need to celebrate every little anniversary. It was just too time consuming. They didn't need a special day to celebrate their love for each other.

(Wednesday, January 28th)

Neville couldn't think straight anymore. So many people were asking him questions and so many members were requesting things from Aberforth, that he couldn't find time for himself. With Ginny temporarily gone, Neville had to handle everything himself, and it was ridiculously time consuming. By the time he went to bed, and had his only alone time with Aubrielle, he was so exhausted that he wouldn't even be intimate with her. While the Ravenclaw craved his touch, she had to admit, she couldn't really keep her eyes open most nights either. Her university level potions class was impossibly hard and it kept her up all the time. Slughorn was not holding back by any means. The couple finally had a day to themselves, however, when classes were cancelled due to professor meetings. Neville and Aubrielle were finally able to sleep in and get some extra hours of well needed rest, but the witch got up early anyway and slithered out from underneath her boyfriend's arm. She reached for her robe and wrapped it around her body before grabbing a small piece of parchment out of her trunk. She put the paper on the lid of her trunk and used an old quill to quickly scribble a letter to the Gryffindor. Re-reading it after she was done, she folded it in two and put it on the pillow where her head should be. There was no way that he would miss it. She grabbed her wand and tucked it into her pocket before heading into the girls' make shift bathroom. She let the water run so the temperature could warm up before letting the liquid pool in her hands. She splashed her face a couple time to let all the old makeup run down her face. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she blotted her face dry with a towel and quietly made her way out of the Room of Requirement.

The hallways resembled a ghost town, as the students were taking full advantage of their day off, as Aubrielle made her way out towards the greenhouses. She loved Neville's little nook of an office. It was cute, clean, and theirs now. It became their spot to get away from everyone and enjoy some time alone, just the two of them. She pulled back the heavy plastic slats of the greenhouse and greeted the warm air. That was another thing, the temperature was always pretty warm and the witch always seemed to have, err, amazing climaxes when they had sex there. Not that Neville was never able to please Aubrielle, quite the opposite, the seventh year just noticed that they were a tad bit better in the small space.

She took out her wand and unlocked the iron clasp before slipping into his office and shutting the door behind her. She smiled at the photos of them tacked onto the wall and the framed one on his desk. Seeing the memories of them never failed to make her smile.

She sat down at his desk and casually stacked all the loose papers into two piles before setting them gently on the ground. She went over to the unique plant in the corner and pointed her wand at its base.

"Aquamenti."

The water flowed out the tip of her wand and splashed onto the plant. The little leaves shivered from the cold but drank up the lifeline nonetheless. The witch tucked her wand back in her robe and carefully studied the photographs that were sporadically tacked around the office. There was one of her and Neville in the Room, sleeping on the cot that they shared every night. Instead of them looking peaceful, however, Aubrielle was half on top of Neville with her crazy waves strewn about, and Neville's chest was heavily rising and falling with his mouth hung open. _'Thanks Lavender,'_ the girl thought sarcastically. Lavender was absolutely infatuated with Neville and Aubrielle's relationship. She thought it as the cutest thing ever and she never let certain moments go by without pulling out her camera. In fact, now that Aubrielle looked around, the Gryffindor took about ninety percent of the photographs. Aubrielle could help but roll her eyes. That girl was quiet the character.

There was the click of a turning doorknob and Aubrielle spun around to see her boyfriend peek his head in. She smiled at him and, like the sap she was, ran into his arms once he had the door opened all the way. He laughed at her little girl antics and swung the door shut behind him.

"Hey babe. Why did you want to meet in here?"

She pulled herself away from him and spun him around so he was standing in front of his office chair. She gently pushed him backwards until he was sitting. She perched herself up on his lap, hung her arm around his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder. Her tangled waves fell over his chest and flowed all the way down to his pant line. She really needed a haircut.

"I wanted alone time with you, that's all."

He smiled at her as she lifted her head up. She grabbed his face and kissed him full on the mouth. She had not had a moment like this in forever and she was going to make it last, Damnit. She turned so she was fully straddling him and let her robe fall off her shoulders and on to the floor. Neville shot his hands up the back of her tank top and deftly unclipped her bra. It was discarded appropriately as Aubrielle let her hands roam under Neville's shirt and on his sculpted chest. The wizard had figured that Aubrielle meant sex when she wrote the note but he still fathomed how his body reacted every time she touched him intimately. They had been having sex for almost a year now and he still get butterflies in his stomach. He just loved her unconditionally. They were getting hot and heavy quick, their hormones being depraved for far too long, and were soon naked and sweating. Aubrielle's morning waves were plastered to her face, neck, and back, and Neville's abs were glistening from the sweat droplets. Aubrielle was still on top of him, but Neville's head was positioned between her breasts, giving him the perfect angle to suck on her pert mounds. The Ravenclaw groaned and mewed as he began to give her a sizeable hickey on the inside of her left boob. Great, now she was going to have to button her blouse up all the way. Thanks, Neville. She squealed a little as he lifted her up and put her on his desk. With one hand, he held her head to his in a passionate kiss while the other one worked its way towards her womanhood. A cold shiver ran up her spine as her boyfriend grazed over her sensitive clit. She had wanted this for so long; she felt like she was going to explode. A groan erupted from the back of her throat when he thrusted two of his fingers into her. She gripped his back, digging her nails into his skin. _'There. If I get a hickey, he gets scratches.' _He only pumped into her a few more times before gently lowering her entire back onto the desk. In one swift movement he opened her legs for him, grabbed her hips, and pounded into her center with his throbbing length.

"WOAH!"

It was as if someone took a million cold beads and rolled them across her body. The sensation was unbeatable, that was for sure. Neville started speeding up his movements and the intensity was sending both of them towards their climax at a rapid speed. They were groaning, moaning, and grunting, wanting nothing more than to feel that overwhelming sense of euphoria. Finally getting just what she wanted, Aubrielle's back arched and her entire body tensed up as her climax shot through her entire being. Her head spun as the amazing sensation hit her harder than ever. Neville gave two more thrusts before having an equally amazing orgasm and falling back into the chair. They were both panting hard as the moment lasted longer than usual. The witch was trying to get her heart rate back to normal and could barely mutter out her immense approval.

"Bloody Hell."

o.O.o

The Room of Requirement was alive and buzzing when the couple came back from their morning escapade. Students were awake, talking to each other, working on homework, or performing fun little spells. Not to anyone's surprise, Nielah was in the corner, trying to perfect her owl patronus. That fifth year was determined to get hers as good as Emolly's by the end of the school year. Emolly and Daphne were also with the Ravenclaw, practicing their own. Daphne had just created her first full body patronus a week ago, a gazelle, and now was taking any free time with Emolly to try and improve it. Over in another corner, Dean and Seamus were conducting a harmless duel drill. Many of the younger students were participating in the practice, loving the thrill of hexing a fellow classmate. Neville smiled as he saw his two friends egging everyone on. Those two were troublemakers all right. Aubrielle and Neville walked over to their joint cot and changed into more comfortable clothes that weren't, err, sticky from sweat. Once they changed in more relaxed attire, Neville went over to the portrait, hoping that he could get Ariana to contact Aberforth. He didn't need anything per say, he just wanted to talk to the elder wizard and ask for some advice. Sure enough, only minutes passed by before the wizard was sitting and talking to the Gryffindor on a stray cot.

Aubrielle watched the playful scene and smiled to herself. The Room didn't always look like this and when it did, it never failed to make her happy. It was that reminder that after all the work, after all the drama, after all the practice and duels, they were all kids when it came down to it. They deserved to have days like these because they were so rare.

The Ravenclaw pulled out her potions book and opened it to the newest chapter of challenging remedies. Slughorn had no mercy when it came to the few university level students and Aubrielle constantly found herself stressed out from the workload. She pulled out a fresh quill and ink before reading the chapter and underlining the chapter's key terms and points. Her mind always tended to drift while doing her potions homework. Sure, potions fascinated her and she always got the work done, but sometimes it did bore her and she was somewhat of a daydreamer. Lately she had really been missing Quidditch. She wanted to fly so badly, get on her broom and hover in the sky. She wanted to feel the adrenaline rush as she raced towards the stealthy snitch while her housemates cheered her name in the stands. _'SONG! SONG! SONG! SONG…'_

"OI! SONG!"

She snapped her head around to see her little sister standing at the end of her cot. She had a silly smirk on her face as she watched her older sister float back to reality. Nielah came and sat down next to her, slipping her wand into her robe pocket.

"Sorry Nie."

"It's no biggie. So where were you and Neville this morning?"

"Uhm, his office."

"Sex again?"

Aubrielle froze a little. She wasn't ashamed of her intimate life at all, and she knew her sister wasn't some dumbass, but it was still weird how casual she was about her and Neville having sex.

"Err, yeah."

"Thought so."

"So, uh, how's your patronus coming along?"

"It's getting better. There aren't as many silver wisps trailing it now."

"That's great Nie."

"Yeah. I just want-"

"Mine like Emolly's by the end of the year, I know."

Aubrielle smiled as she finished her little sister's sentence. She talked about her patronus daily and everyone knew what she wanted to accomplish because she never stopped talking about it. Of course, Emolly saw it as a huge compliment, knowing that the fifth year was striving for her level. Nielah blushed a little and looked down at her lap. The Song sisters were never shy with each other, but there were still certain subjects that Nielah was iffy about.

"Aubs?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You know you can-"

"But, I want an honest answer."

"Of course."

The fifth year inhaled before looking back at her sister.

"This war, it's coming quickly, isn't it?"

Aubrielle sighed, "Yes, it is."

"I figured. And I watch you and Neville all time, how he'll give you random pecks on your cheeks, or you'll just reach for his hand out of instinct. I don't know, I just…"

"Nie, what is it?"

"What if I never know what it's like to be in love? What if I die in this war and I never-"

Aubrielle reached for her sister as she heard her choke back tears. She brought her into her chest and cradled her, just like the old days.

"Don't say that, please."

"I'm just saying. I'm one of the younger ones. I don't know how I'll fare against a grown death eater."

The girl sniffled hard, trying not to completely break down. Truth was, Nielah thought about the war every single day. She was always aware of the fact that she wasn't as good of a witch as her sister, or Emolly, or Daphne, or Ginny. What if she just couldn't cut it? What if this year at Hogwarts would be her last? Her shoulders shook as she let the worries come out of her. She had held the fear in for months and now that she was in her sister's arms, well, it was time to just let go.

"I- I just see you and Neville, and I w-want that. I want to know what it's l-like to be loved and t-to have someone there f-for you like that."

"Well, Nielah, you KNOW I'll always be there for you, always."

"That's not what I meant!"

Aubrielle tried not to snicker as she heard her little sister whine. It was funny to hear her act like a ten year old again.

"I know, I know, shh. It's okay. Nielah I want you to look at me."

The fifth year perked her head up and looked into her sister's golden hazel pools.

"You are an amazing girl. You are gorgeous, funny, kind, smart, and TALENTED. Do not consider yourself one of the young ones because you're not. You are a wonderful witch and I have all the faith in the world that you will be able to kick some serious death eater ass. And once you do that, you will find a guy who loves you for who you are. Trust me."

Nielah let out a light laugh, much to Aubrielle's pleasure.

"See? Just keep working on your skills and there is no questioning your abilities."

"Thanks Aubs."

The fifth year hugged her sister before getting off the cot and running over to duel some of her friends. Everything that the seventh year had just said was true. She knew that her sister was a very talented young witch, but Aubrielle had to admit, she was always worried about Nielah. Not because she felt she couldn't hold her own in a fight, but because if by some rare chance she couldn't, and Nielah happened to find herself at the end of the killing curse, Aubrielle wouldn't know what to do with her life. In all honesty, the Ravenclaw would most likely lose it.

o.O.o

The red head stood outside of the blank wall with her trunk in one hand and her wand in the other. She hated to admit it, but she was nervous. She knew that she had been bullheaded earlier and she had no idea if Neville was going to let her back in the Army. Lastly, she needed to apologize to Daphne. After thinking things over, and being terrible lonely for the last week, Ginny realized that she needed to give the witch a chance and stop holding on to the past. She inhaled deeply.

"We're fighting to stay alive."

The doors appeared on command and the Gryffindor slowly entered. Barely anyone noticed that she had come in with students coming and going randomly, but the ones that did turn around were the ones that mattered the most. Aubrielle, Emolly, Daphne, and Neville were all staring at her. She gave a weak smile as Neville stood up and walked over to her.

"I knew you couldn't stay away."

"Ha. Yeah well, turns out I was being too stubborn. So, can I come back and stay here again?"

"You know I want you back. But I think someone owes an apology…"

He trailed off and opened up his body so Daphne came into view. He wordlessly took Ginny's trunk and wheeled it away. She made eye contact with the Slytherin and walked over to the cot that she was sitting on. Emolly and Aubrielle stood up before walking away. Daphne shifted uncomfortably but didn't leave. She needed to sort this mess out.

"Look, I'm just going to go right out and say it. I'm sorry Daphne. I'm stubborn, I'll admit, but I understand now that I need to let go of the past. I'm really sorry."

The witch sat there in silence for a moment. Ginny Weasley was apologizing to her; whoa, twilight zone.

"Thanks Ginny. Hopefully we can just put this behind us."

"That's what I was hoping for."

"Okay. So…friends?"

Ginny gave a wicked smile, "Not friends quite yet, but we're not enemies either."

"I'll take it."

They shared a pair of awkward smiles before Ginny got up and reclaimed her old cot. It was good to be back.

**Hope you liked it! :)**


	21. Dean Thomas

**A/N: I am so sorry about the hiatus! I have been so busy with classes and auditions! Here is a new update! Review if ya want. :)**

January rolled into February like a slug. The winter months were gray, dull, and gloomy, and it affected nearly everyone's mood. The only people enjoying the dreary weather seemed to be the Carrow siblings. Go figure. The Army was progressing nicely, even with their small numbers. Every day the members practiced their skills and it was definitely showing. Oliver and Cho were also bringing a great deal to the Army, showing spells that Neville had never even heard of; spells that were not allowed inside the walls of the castle. Aberforth slowly became a grandfather figure for the students as well. He was dropping by frequently, having conversations with Neville or just watching the lessons. He was becoming a regular with the students and gave them a sense of hope.

Having Ginny back was wonderful for Neville. His workload for the Army was literally cut in half now that she was back as a leader again and he couldn't be happier about that. He was able to finally get some decent rest as well, which just improved his attitude in general. He was able to give Aubrielle some more attention, much to her pleasure, and it seemed like, for once, the school year was going all right. Neville knew, however, that the euphoria wouldn't last long. It never did at Hogwarts.

(Thursday, February 19th)

It was in the black of the night and everyone was asleep. Well, almost everyone. Emolly was still awake with terrible pains in her abdomen. For the last week, she had been noticing sharp pains in her side and terrible aches in her stomach. She really didn't think anything of it, but now the stings were to the point where she couldn't sleep, at all. They were actually becoming more agonizing by the second and Emolly arched her back out of discomfort. What the Hell was happening? She was trying to stay quiet and not wake anyone, but she felt like someone was tacking an ice pick to her ribs. She let out a high-pitched whine, unable to keep it in any longer, and hugged her side. She was in a cold sweat now, trying to fight against the pain, as she fidgeted and squirmed in her bed. She was tangled in her sheets now and her hair was sticking to the sides of her face. She moaned again and tried to sit up in her bed, but it just got worse as an excruciating pain rocketed through her entire being. This time, she full out screamed. There was the immediate noise of students waking up and pulling out their wands. To them, it sounded as if someone was getting hurt. She had her eyes squeezed shut, but the blonde could still make out the light at the tips of peoples' wands through her closed lids. She was moaning and twisting as a familiar hand reached for her face and tried to calm her down.

"Em? Em what's going on? What's wrong?" Aubrielle was frantically scanning over her best friend, trying to decipher her movements and noises. She saw her clutching her side and went into panic mode. It was the same side that Blaise had injured back when they had fought in the Great Hall and it was the same side that had had cracked ribs and internal bleeding. This had to be serious.

Emolly kept screaming and Aubrielle went to untangle the sheets that were wrapped around her. Neville was confused as Hell as to what was happening but Aubrielle was frantically explaining the situation as she tried to wriggle the Slytherin free.

"She's clutching her side! The same one that Blaise had hurt…she had internal bleeding…cracked ribs….SHIT! Emolly try to stop moving love. I need to get you out from the sheets. I know it hurts. We'll take you to Madame Pomfrey but we can only do that if you stop twisting and turning. Please Emolly."

The seventh year stopped moving and the pain was unbearable. The tears were streaming through her closed lids and the cries were absolutely piercing. Aubrielle was almost done with the sheets before yelling at her boyfriend.

"Neville go! Go wake Madame Pomfrey. Tell her it's an emergency! I can handle Em."

"O-Okay."

He bolted out of the Room and sprinted to the medical wing. He knew that the best thing to do was follow his girlfriend's orders. This was not his area of expertise.

The Ravenclaw finally had the bed stripped and Emolly instinctively curled into a tight ball. Without even asking, someone gently moved Aubrielle to the side and reached for the witch. Aubrielle raised an eyebrow as Dean Thomas took Emolly protectively in his arms. He cradled her into his chest bridal style and she responded by leaning her head into the crook of his neck. She didn't actually know who was holding her; she just wanted to get to the medical wing as soon as possible so this terrible pain would go away. Dean headed out the door with Aubrielle close behind while Ginny handled the rest of the Army. She sent them off to bed, telling them that there was nothing they could do to help but stay away from the situation. They all did as they were told.

Dean rushed to the wing with Emolly crying and screaming the entire way. Aubrielle ran in front of him and busted the doors open to find not only Neville and Madame Pomfrey, but Professor McGonagall as well. They already had a cot dressed and ready for the seventh year. Professor McGonagall rushed foreword and pointed towards the bed.

"Over here Mr. Thomas. Set her down gently now. Shh shh…there there Ms. Goldster. You're all right. We're going to get you help." The Head of Gryffindor turned and looked at Aubrielle, who was on the verge of crying. It was so heartbreaking to see her best friend in this sort of pain.

"Ms. Song, I need you to tell me what's wrong."

"I-I'm not exactly sure. She's been holding her side, the side that Blaise had damaged badly. Last time she had cracked ribs and internal bleeding. I think her wounds have opened."

The elder witch turned toward the healer with a frightened look in her eyes. It was almost impossible for magically healed wounds to open themselves again. The only way they could do so was if they were drastically severe or effected by the use of magic. This was not good. No, no, no.

The Healer whipped out her wand and muttered some sort of hex to herself, letting blue threads whisk out the tip of her wand and wash over Emolly's face. In an instant the witch was knocked out, unconscious, and her screams stopped. Dean, Neville, and Aubrielle watched the scene with wonder and horror. Madame Pomfrey looked seriously at McGonagall. 

"She needs to go to St. Mungo's…right now. This is far beyond my healing abilities. Better wake the headmaster and tell him that we need to contact them immediately. If we don't get her the proper care in a couple of hours, she'll die."

Minerva's eyes widened to the size of saucers and without another word, the old witch was running towards Snape's office. Aubrielle just leaned into Neville, covered her face with her hands, and broke down. _'Please no. This can't be happening! No!' _Even Dean Thomas, who never cried, let a single tear streak his cheek.

o.O.o

The emergency healers were in the castle within a minute. Since Emolly was in such bad shape, they flooed their equipment into Hogwarts via Snape's personal fireplace and turned the medical wing into a makeshift hospital. Everyone was pushed out so the healers could do their work in peace and without the distraction of students, professors, and Aubrielle's hysterical sobbing. The stress was only just beginning, however, when Snape called the three seventh years into his office with Professor McGonagall. They wearily climbed the steps leading up to the Headmaster's office, unsure of what to expect. Aubrielle simply figured that he wanted to know what was wrong with her. Then it hit her like a bag of bricks…

"How did you know she was in pain, Ms. Song?"

"Uhh…"

Snape had his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed over his chest. They hadn't thought about that. They should have had Daphne take her. She was the only other Slytherin and… 

"I find it…interesting that two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw brought a Slytherin to the wing this late at night. How did you know she was in pain? Unless…you're not sleeping in your dorms-"

"We are sleeping in our dorms!" Neville spit it out without thinking. No, they were not about to reveal the Army and the Room of Requirement. They had gotten this far into the school year without messing it up and they weren't about to let it all go now. No way in Hell. "You see, Headmaster…"

"I was with her."

Everyone turned to look at Dean Thomas, who was standing off to the side. Dean was always one to follow the rules and he generally stayed out of trouble. Aubrielle knit her forehead in confusion. What was he doing?

"What, Mr. Thomas?"

"I was with her. In her dorm."

Aubrielle's jaw dropped but she quickly shut it before Snape could see her surprised reaction.

"And what were you doing in her dorm, Mr. Thomas, this late at night?"

"We were just sleeping. I swear."

The Headmaster stood up and walked over to the wizard. Dean stood there, still as a statue, and didn't show any emotion. Suddenly the door burst open and Amycus Carrow came strutting in, smiling.

"Heard there are some students to punish, Headmaster."

"There are Amycus; thank you for coming this late at night."

"Anything to help enforce the rules, Headmaster."

Aubrielle gulped. They were all in deep shit. Knowing Carrow, they would most likely end up in the medical wing right next to Emolly. Dean just stood still as Snape continued to question him. 

"So Mr. Thomas, if what you're telling me is correct, you were sleeping in Emolly's dorm room."

"Yes sir, I just told you that-"

"AND _why_ were you sleeping in her dorm?"

"We've been secretly seeing each other, sir."

Aubrielle's eyes widened. Dean's lying was so convincing that it almost seemed real…

"Well, Mr. Thomas, you understand the severity of your actions, don't you?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"And how did Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Song over here get involved?"

Dean pivoted towards his two friends and looked at them before answering the wizard.

"Uh, well, _Headmaster_-"

"We heard Emolly screaming!"

Aubrielle's hand went to cover her mouth but she resisted the urge. They were all in this together. There was no way that any of them could get of this punishment free.

"Neville and I are dating. You knew that Headmaster, whether you wanted to admit it or not. You've always known."

Snape walked over to the Ravenclaw, standing over her.

"As a matter of fact I have known."

"Exactly. Well..." She turned to look at her boyfriend. "Neville and I snuck out to have some alone time. You know, since we can't do it during the day… And we heard Emolly screaming. All of the sudden Dean came around the corner, carrying her, and we wanted to help." Now Aubrielle was getting her courage. Hell, she knew that she was going to be thoroughly punished for this; might as well go down swinging. "Even though you try to prevent outer house communication, Headmaster, she's still a classmate. I have known Emolly for years and she is my best friend. I'm going to aid her when she is in pain or trouble, rules be damned!" She was red in the face and she didn't even realize that she had her fists balled until Neville reached out to squeeze her hand. She quickly relaxed and intertwined her fingers with his, defiantly breaking a rule right in front of Snape and Carrow. Professor McGonagall could help but smile at her students and their bravery. Snape took a step back and looked at the seventh years.

"Very well. All three of you will be punished accordingly. I would punish Ms. Goldster as well but, given the circumstances, she is being punished enough. Two weeks detention, all of you, starting tomorrow."

There was a collective groan from the Army members.

"Now, go back to your dorms and get some sleep. You're all going to have a long day tomorrow."

(Friday, February 20th)

The following day, when Emolly's injuries were fully diagnosed, Dean, Neville, and Aubrielle were called back into Snape's office. The healers from St. Mungo's told Madame Pomfrey that her wounds should not have opened up again and the only reason they did was because Emolly was performing extremely powerful curses that took a toll on her body. A witch or wizard's magic comes from within their being, and their insides are affected every time they cast a curse or hex. Now, most of the time, their body is able to adjust and regulate back to normalcy in a matter of seconds. However, since Emolly had such severe wounds that hadn't fully healed yet, the powerful magic coursing through her every time she did a Patronus or one of the spells Oliver had taught, slowly started to re-open her injuries. Upon hearing this, Snape was immediately angered. Students were not allowed to perform magic like that at school and he certainly knew that Carrow was not teaching them how to produce a Patronus in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had a gut feeling that these students were doing the same they did in fifth year and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

The three seventh years stood in his office once more, but a little bit more confident this time. They had talked to each other, of course, and created a pretty convincing story that would line up between them. Neville knew the second he heard Emolly's diagnosis that Snape would be suspicious and he already was thinking 5 steps ahead. _'Bring it, Headmaster.' _Snape was sitting behind his desk, comfortably leaning back in his chair. He sat straight up and motioned for the students to sit in the chairs across from him. They did as they were told.

"Can I assume that you all know about Ms. Goldster's condition?"

"You can." Aubrielle folded her arms over her chest.

"Then I'll get right to it. Why was Ms. Goldster performing magic well above the regulated power limit?"

All three of them were silent, defiantly looking at their Headmaster. They could see his patience slipping through his fingers, and they loved it. They wanted to get him on the verge of a breakdown before they said anything.

"Well? Would anyone care to inform me why she has been casting the Patronus Charm and other spells that are forbidden in this castle on a daily basis?"

Again, nothing. Snape furiously stood up and walked to Neville. He was inches away from the Gryffindor, who was smirking.

"You're up to it again, aren't you? Your bloody little Army that you were in during fifth year? I know that those spells wouldn't be practiced anywhere else!"

"I don't know what you're talking about _Headmaster_. Do you really think we would have time to manage something like that with the ridiculous amounts of school work we are assigned every…single…day?"

Neville sat back in his chair, showing that he was done discussing the matter. Snape moved over to Dean and tried to control himself.

"Tell me, Mr. Thomas, have you ever seen Ms. Goldster perform these advanced spells?"

"Yes."

Snape smirked, "And where did she cast them at?"

"Her bedroom."

"And you were with her, in her bedroom?"

"I thought I made that clear last night, Headmaster." 

Snape clenched his fists and Aubrielle let out a snicker. The Headmaster ignored it.

"Why is Ms. Goldster practicing spells of that caliber, Mr. Thomas?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe so she can defend herself from her abusive and psychotic ex-boyfriend?"

Aubrielle giggled to herself but quickly put her hand over her mouth. It was so funny to her, the way everyone was being so damn sarcastic. She was having quite a good time with it, really. Snape stood back and looked at the three students with disgust.

"You think you're smarter than me, don't you? All I have to say is this; do not underestimate me. You _are_ in _my_ school, after all."

"Say what you want Headmaster, but we are in Dumbledore's school."

With that, Neville stood up and walked out the door. Dean and Aubrielle did the same right after him, leaving Snape with about a dozen unanswered questions flying through his head. '_Perfect_,' thought Aubrielle, '_he's right where we want him_.'

o.O.o.O.o

Emolly could not sleep at all. The healers had left around midnight but promised to be back first thing in the morning. Turns out her injuries needed daily observation for about a week and she wasn't allowed to do any kind of magic whatsoever. Great. She was stuck in this depressing medical wing, without any friends, for an entire week. Even more, she wasn't even allowed to keep up with her charms or schoolwork. This was going to be Hell, in short. It was around two in the morning right now and the witch's problems were keeping her up. Her mind could not stop racing and it wasn't letting her get the rest that she needed. There was the uncomforting sound of a doorknob clicking and Emolly sprang up in her cot, only to regret it. A sharp pain shot up her side and she instinctively clutched it, moaning loudly. Not only was she now in terrible pain, but she didn't have her wand and wasn't allowed to defend herself anyway, since she was banned from using magic. Whoever this was, she just prayed it was a friend.

"Shit."

"Shh. Do you want to wake one of the elves?"

Emolly turned to her side to face the door. It was pitch black and she just barely recognized the voice.

"W-who is it?"

"Dean."

The tall seventh year came into view and sat in the chair next to her bed. He was still dressed in his school uniform. Emolly raised an eyebrow at him but he seemed to think that the secret meeting was normal. He looked at Emolly and saw how the moonlight caught the shimmer in her amber eyes and flooded over her blonde hair. He could almost count the freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks…

"Why are you here?"

Her voice brought him back to reality and he took in the curious tone of her question.

"I carried you here. You know that, right?"

"Madame Pomfrey told me, yeah. Thank you for that, by the way."

"No problem."

There was an awkward silence and Emolly tried to sit up again, this time much, much slower. She was finally able to prop herself up and lean her back on the cot's iron headrest. Dean turned his chair so he could look at her. This was about to get even more awkward.

"So, err, we all had to talk to Snape. Well, Neville, Aubrielle, and I. He wanted answers and he wanted to know why two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw brought you here. You know, since we aren't allowed to talk to people outside of our house."

"Oh…OH! I didn't even think about that!"

"Yeah. We all really had to think on our feet. I was really put under fire since I'm the one who was actually carrying you…"

"I'm so sorry Dean. I didn't want any of you to get in trouble because of me."

"What were we suppose to do? Let you squirm on the cot in pain?"

She sighed. That was true. She would have most likely died too. She still felt bad though, knowing her friends were suffering because of her.

"Anyway…well, Snape wanted answers and I just kind of…spit something out and you should know so that if he comes here and asks you things, our stories will add up."

"Right. Good idea! Well, what did you tell him?"

"The reason I knew you were in pain was because I was in your dorm with you."

"In the middle of night?"

"Yeah…I also told him we were secretly dating."

"Oh."

The awkwardness hung in the air like a thick fog and Emolly could swear that it was palpable. Feeling exposed in some way, Emolly pulled the blanket up around her waist. Dean was looking down at his shoes, letting his leg jiggle up and down. Emolly opened her mouth to say something, decided not to, and shut it again. Dean said something but it was too muffled and quiet for the Slytherin to hear.

"Pardon?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Making this the most awkward thing…ever."

Emolly let out a strained chuckle, which made the Gryffindor lift his head. She could tell that he thought he was somehow out of line. Maybe he felt it was too ludicrous an idea, them dating, or maybe he needed more self-confidence with girls. If her memory served her right, he was pretty crushed by his break up with Ginny and he hadn't dated anyone since. "It's fine, really. You did what you had to do to protect the Army. It was smart on your part."

"Ha. Thanks. So…err…yeah. Now you know. You know, just in case Snape comes snooping."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for giving me the heads up."

"It's the least I could do."

The wizard stood up and nodded at Emolly before heading for the door.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?" The seventh year turned back around to look at the blonde.

"You're a really great guy. Just thought I'd let him know."

Dean was thankful that it was nearly pitch black in the room because he could feel the intense blush in his cheeks.

"Thanks Emolly. You're a pretty cool girl yourself."

She flashed her pearly white teeth at him before he turned to walk out of the room and closed the door behind him.

**So, uh, review?**


	22. Rumors and Rules

**Duckie….your wish is my command! ;) New update! Hope you like it as much as I loved writing it! RxR!**

(Saturday, February 21st)

"Ms. Goldster. I'm so happy to see you awake and well."

"Thank you Headmaster."

Just as Dean had predicted, Snape came the very next morning as soon as the healers from St. Mungo's left. Emolly was very weak at the moment and he knew it. If he was every going to try and reveal Longbottom's master plan, his best bet was through Emolly. He was casually sitting on a chair at the foot of her cot while she sat up with her breakfast try on her lap. The Slytherin reached foreword and grabbed a piece of toast and started nibbling on a corner. It was weird, having Snape at her station and being completely silent. It was like that eerie calm before the storm. She was almost done with her piece of bread before he began nailing her with questions.

"So, Ms. Goldster, where were you when you woke up with your pains?" 

"In my dorm room."

"Right. Your _Slytherin_ dorm room?"

"I wouldn't be in any other one." She knew she had just come off as seriously sarcastic, but she really could care less. She hated her Headmaster, period, even if he _was_ a Slytherin.

"And how did Mr. Thomas know you were in such serious pain, may I ask?"

"He was in there with me. He was sleeping right next to me."

"Was he now?" 

"Yes."

"You realize that that is a serious violation of the school rules, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, and I also think that those school rules are ridiculous, too extreme, and unnecessary."

"Well, Ms. Goldster, it's a good thing you don't make the rules than, now isn't it?

"Well if I did, this school would actually be an enjoyable place to live in."

Emolly crossed her arms over her chest as Snape bit his lower lip. He was trying so hard to not blow up on the bratty seventh year because he knew that the second he did, Madame Pomfrey would shoo him from the wing. He respected the old healer and he knew that stepping in between her and her patients was suicide. She took her job very seriously.

"Fair enough. And why was he in your dorm?"

"We're dating. It was a secret but looks like the cat's out of the bag, eh Headmaster?" She smirked at him. She was thoroughly enjoying this. For once, she got to be the bitch. "You remember Blaise, correct? Of course you do; you had to expel him FOR ABUSISING ME AND RAPING ME. I had been stuck in that damn situation for months and I have never found a genuine guy, ever. Dean is kind, sensitive, funny, and wicked brilliant. He treats me like a person, not a piece of meat! I have never felt this good with a guy! I know you don't give a damn about my relationship status, but I'm not about to let some stupid rules ruin it for me! THERE IS A WAR AT OUR DOORSTEP! If now isn't the time to love the people around you, I don't know what is. In other words, punish me however the Hell you want, but your rules mean nothing to me."

Emolly sat back in her bed and let herself sink into her pillow. She could feel her face burning. She honestly had no idea where that had come from and she was exhausted from that outburst. It had genuinely taken a lot out of her. She didn't plan on saying, well, screaming, any of that. What came over her? Her Headmaster's facial expression never changed. He sat in the chair, completely frozen, and just took it all in with open ears. He knew that she would defend herself, but not to that extent. Not only that, but her little fit seemed legitimately real. Then again, he knew that people could be very convincing liars. Before he could say anything else, the blonde continued.

"Listen, Headmaster, all these rules that you have set…they are all being broken on a daily basis and by almost every student in this depressing castle. Do you want to know why kids are disrespecting you so much or why they talk back to you? It's because you're making them like this. We are all upset, constantly tired, and on edge. If you want the students to actually behave better, you need to take some of these damn laws away. I know you don't want to hear this from a seventh year, but it's true."

Snape stood up and looked at the witch one last time before turning around and storming out of the medical wing. He had some serious thinking to do. Emolly smirked to herself before finishing the rest of her breakfast.

(Monday, February 23rd)

It was a usual Monday. All the students were sitting in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast at their house tables, only this time Daphne was completely alone at the Slytherin one. Emolly was still on bed rest and still stuck in the hospital so the seventh year was even more lonely than usual. She was sitting at the very end of the bench, only a few first years willing to come by her, and she felt like hiding. The large double doors creaked open and there was collective gasp as Severus Snape came strutting down the center aisle. He NEVER ate meals with the students, ever, and everyone knew that he was here for a specific reason. There was a hint of tension in the air as the hushed whispers and guesses filled the Hall.

"I heard he's going to fire Sprout…that old hag."

"No, the war is here! The war is here!"

"He's stepping down and Carrow is stepping up…"

"I heard he has another ridiculous rule for us."

Nielah quickly turned to her sister, who now had a lovely bruise around her left eye, thanks to detention with Carrow. "Do you think he found out about the Army?"

Aubrielle shook her head. "Not a chance, not a chance. I have no idea what this is about."

Snape reached the podium at the head of the room and turned around to face the mass of students. Aubrielle leaned into her sister. "Guess we're about to find out."

The Headmaster cleared his throat and an immediate silence fell over the room. The curiosity and fear hung in the air like a thick cloud as Snape rolled back his robe sleeves ever so slightly.

"As your Headmaster, I have an announcement about the rules."

Aubrielle groaned. This was going to be interesting.

"As you all know, I enforced a new rule at the beginning of the school year that stated students were not allowed to communicate or interact with other students outside of their respected house."

He waited for the students to take in the information and continued when he saw the various head nods and whispers.

"For reasons that will stay confidential, I have decided to terminate such rule. You are all now free to talk to students from different houses."

There was a sudden eruption of cheers as the students heard the news. Aubrielle jumped out of her seat and threw her hands up in the air. This was amazing! Their lives just became 100 times easier! The Ravenclaw got up from the Ravenclaw table and rushed towards the Gryffindor one as students started to switch tables to be by their friends. She ran over to Neville, who already had his arms open for her, and sat on his lap. She grabbed his face and kissed him hard on the mouth. She pulled away and gazed into his eyes before running her fingers through his short hair.

"No more hiding."

He grinned at her, "No more hiding."

o.O.o

As soon as Dean heard the news, he rushed up to the medical wing. Chances are Emolly had something to do with this and he wanted to be the first one to tell the Slytherin the news. He walked through the open doors to find her reading her charms book. _'Typical.'_ He walked over to her cot and plopped down in the seat next to her. She jumped a little at the noise but was relieved when it was Dean. He didn't scare her like some other people at this school did. She dog-eared the page she was on and shut the book.

"You're being pretty damn bold right now Dean."

He smirked, "Why do you say that?"

"If Carrow or Snape were to walk by and see a Gryffindor talking to a Slytherin-" 

"They wouldn't do anything."

"What?"

"That's why I'm here! Snape just lifted the rule! We're allowed to talk to other houses now!" 

Emolly's jaw dropped as the excitement went through her body. What? This was unbelievable! Snape was NOT someone to take by one of his own rules, let alone one that would make the students _happier_. She thought back to the conversation that she had had with him a few days ago. She had told him that the only way to get the students to start respecting him was to take away some of his ludicrous rules. Had he done this because of what she had said? Her whole body felt fuzzy.

"Merlin, he did it because of me." 

Dean sat back in his chair. He knew she had something to do with it.

"I figured as much. What _did_ you say to him, exactly?"

"I told him that students would behave better if he took away some of his rules. I told him they would respect him more."

"Huh. Well good job Goldster; you did it."

Emolly beamed at the Gryffindor. She had actually made a difference and she was so proud of herself. Her smile faded a little when she suddenly remembered the reason why she had that talk with the headmaster in the first place.

"So, does this mean we don't have to pretend to be in a 'secret relationship' anymore?"

Dean frowned, making it obvious that he was upset. "No."

"Oh. Well, Snape still believes we're together though, right?"

The wizard shrugged his shoulders, "I guess so. But we can say we broke up." He felt so defeated. It was silly to, really. He was never in a real relationship with the blonde anyway so why should he be so upset?

"I don't know…I think it would be fun to play pretend for a little bit."

Dean lifted his head and raised his eyebrow. "You do?"

"Sure! I'm so bored all the time and now that we can talk to people outside of our house… I say we use this for our enjoyment. Plus it will get a rise out of Snape. Yeah?"

"Uh…yeah! Yeah, okay! Sounds good to me!"

"Awesome!

Dean grinned at the Slytherin and they had a little moment of understanding between the two of them. It was quickly interrupted, however, when Aubrielle came barreling into the medical wing.

"EM! Did you hear? Snape got rid of the communication rule and-"

"Dean just told me."

Dean turned around to see Aubrielle pout out her bottom lip. She obviously wanted to be the one to break the news to her best friend. Emolly couldn't help but crack up at her friend's face. She quickly regretted it when a sharp pain hit her side.

"OW!"

She clutched at the skin, willing it to go away, and slumped down into her bed. She turned to look at her now worried friend.

"You made me laugh…bitch."

The Ravenclaw giggled as her best friend stuck her tongue out at her. Dean let out a chuckle as well and Aubrielle knit her forehead together as she watched the two seventh years smile at each other. What was going on?

(Friday, February 27th)

Emolly was released from the hospital wing but she was still not allowed to use magic for the following two weeks. The healers from St. Mungo's had told her that her injuries were far more severe that they had first thought and it was better to be safe than sorry. Aubrielle had brought the witch her uniform the day prior and Dean was coming that morning to help her back to the Room of Requirement. She was sitting on the edge of her cot, pulling on her knee high socks, when he came in. She smiled at him and finished putting on her emerald green ballet flats. She slowly lifted herself off the cot and Dean was right by her side. She really had lost a lot of strength during the past week. She stood up straight and gave him a reassuring look.

"Okay. Lets get out of here."

He laughed as she walked out of the medical wing with him following close behind. She was so happy to get out of that dreary place and back to her friends and the Army. She gripped the banister like a lifeline as she slowly made her way down the long staircase. She was definitely better, but she was still in a lot of pain, which was easily seen in her facial expression.

"You alright?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm just so _sore_."

They reached the bottom of the staircase and started making their way through the long corridors. They were mostly full around this time with students making their way to and from classes. Emolly reached over and casually grabbed Dean's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. Not only were they supposed to be dating at the moment, but she was so weak that she needed the support. Dean felt a warm tingling creep up his arm and into his face at her touch. She was so gentle and so sweet that he just felt like he was on cloud nine. Not only that, but there were dozens of students around that were noticing the two together. Most of the students knew about Blaise's true identity by now, but Emolly was still getting some sharp glares and unwelcomed sneers from Slytherin students. She heard one girl behind her…

"On to the next one already, eh Goldster?"

Another random student, "What a whore…"

Emolly felt the sting of tears invade her eyes. She knew it was all false and she knew who she really was, but the name calling still hurt. These were people that didn't even know her and they saying things as terrible as that. She blinked hard, willing the tears to not fall and quickly whipped one away when it did. Dean gave her hand a tight squeeze and leaned down towards her ear to whisper her words of reassurance.

"Don't listen to them. You're a bigger person than they are."

Emolly just shook her head; she had heard it all the same. She felt her legs getting tired from the short walk and led Dean towards a bench.

"I need to take a break. I didn't realize I would be this weak."

"Sure, no problem."

They sat down and Emolly started taking deep breaths. Why couldn't people just leave her alone? Why did they have to be in her business all the time? She leaned foreword and covered her face with her hands. All she wanted to do was move on! She wanted to forget about Blaise and what he did to her! But with students still teasing her…it was getting harder every day. It was like her past was always going to haunt her. She felt Dean's hand cautiously rest on her back. When she didn't nudge him off, he started rubbing it in circles.

"You shouldn't let them get to you like this."

That was it. She was crying now, hard and fast, and pretty soon her shoulders started to shake as the tears came at her in waves. She turned and leaned into Dean and he instinctively wrapped her up into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and gripped his shirt as she let it all out. He kept running his hands up and down her arms and back, trying to calm her down. He had to admit, seeing the witch so distraught was making him upset too. He had always seen Emolly as this strong, independent girl and it was heartbreaking to see her put herself down like this.

"Shhh, you're okay. You're okay and you're safe."

She inhaled deeply and kept taking deep breaths until her sobs were down to small whimpers. She closed her eyes and remembered her friends: Aubrielle, Neville, Luna, Ginny, and even Daphne. She remembered the Army and how much she loved being a part of something bigger than herself. She thought about her weekly sleepovers with Aubrielle and teaching Nielah how to produce a Patronus. She thought about Flitwick and his delighted expression every time she mastered a new charm. These were the things that defined her, not the rumors that were spread by the school's bitches that didn't have anything better to do with their lives than spread nasty gossip. She lifted her head up and Dean opened his arms so she could sit up straight again. He looked at her, secretly admiring the amazing amber hue that her glassy eyes made. She took her shirtsleeve and quickly whipped away the rest of her tears, ending her little meltdown. She turned to look at the Gryffindor.

"Sorry 'bout that."

"Don't be. I always say that people need a good cry every once in a while."

"Yeah? Well, seems like I've been crying a lot lately."

"I've never seen you cry before this."

"That's because I try to do it alone where no one else can watch me."

She looked straight ahead at the painting on the other side of the hall. It was of an older man standing in the middle of the woods, painting a landscape piece. He was delicately layering the green shades of the grass over and over again. When she spoke again, she was really speaking to herself, almost completely forgetting that Dean was even there. Almost.

"Those girls, the reason that they get to me so easily is because I feel like they are creating my future for me. You can't move foreword until you come to terms with your past. For me, that seems impossible with people like them out there, constantly reminding me of the mistakes I've made. I know that the rumors are fake and I know that they shouldn't define me…but by people constantly calling me a whore, or a slut, or a bitch…" She turned and looked at Dean who was watching her carefully. "I almost feel like those words will be attached to me forever. I feel like I'll never be able to shake those terrible titles and I'll be ugly and loveless forever. I know it might seem like I'm being a dramatic teenage girl but-"

"Emolly, listen to me when I say this; you are one of the most modest, kindhearted girls I have met. People are going to want to get to know before judging you. Rumors are rumors for a reason. They are fake. Those other girls are most likely just jealous of you because you are absolutely stunning and smart and funny and-"

But Emolly's lips quickly cut him off. Out of nowhere the witch grabbed his face and pressed his lips against hers in a hard, passionate kiss, and he didn't dare pull away.

**I'm growing quite fond of Emolly! Review please! :)**


	23. Weak

Emolly had no idea why she had kissed Dean so passionately in the hallway. Well, okay…she did know why she had snogged him. At that moment in time, he had made her feel like a genuine person. He made her feel special, pretty. She didn't have feelings for him, however, so she didn't understand her body's need to be intimate with him. Now, after the kiss, she was so confused because she actually _felt_ something when their lips had touched and their tongues tangled with each other. It was just surreal because she had gone from barely saying hi to him, to making out with him over the course of a week. Who was this kid?

Even with the mixed signals and unanswered questions, the two seventh years continued to 'date' each other. The Slytherin had assured Neville and Aubrielle that it was all fake and simply a facade to agitate Snape. Aubrielle, however, couldn't help but notice the two students flirt with each other on a daily basis. No matter how much Emolly stressed that it wasn't real, Aubrielle felt that genuine feelings were bubbling under the surface, and she couldn't wait for them to admit it to each other.

(Friday, March 6th)

"Ariana, I need Ab as soon as possible."

The brunette in the portrait nodded her head before turning around and walking down the garden pathway. Neville paced in front of the painting with a small notecard in his hand. This was a personal list that was to stay strictly between him and Aberforth. The portrait swung open and the old wizard was soon walking down the stone stairs. He greeted Neville with his usual smile and handshake.

"Ariana said you needed me a.s.a.p. What's wrong my boy?"

"I need you to get me some potion ingredients as soon as possible and I need you to keep this strictly between you and I."

Aberforth raised his eyebrow and accepted the piece of parchment that Neville extended towards him. He unfolded it and scanned the items. His eyes widened and he pulled Neville off to the side so no one could hear them talk.

"You realize how hard it is for me to get all of this, don't you? These ingredients are rare and not to mention bloody expensive-"

"I know, I know, but it's imperative that I get them as soon as possible. This is really important to me Ab. This is to protect the ones I love and you know well enough that this war is going to hit us any second."

The Gryffindor couldn't help but look off towards Aubrielle, who was braiding her little sister's long hair. Daphne was sitting next to her on the cot, talking and observing. Aubrielle started laughing about something and Neville couldn't help but smile. Gods he loved her so much.

"This is for her, isn't it?"

Neville looked back at Aberforth, "Yeah, it's for her. I want to know that she'll survive all this, even if I don't. I want her to live and for her to have a long and happy life."

"She's damn lucky to have a bloke like you, Neville."

"And I'm damn lucky to have a girl like her."

Aberforth put his hand on the seventh year's shoulder as he slipped the paper into his robe pocket. "I'll get these as soon as possible. It's most likely going to take me a while though."

"I understand."

Aberforth started walking back towards the stone stairs that led up towards the portrait of his sister. She kindly opened the painting right as Aberforth reached the bottom step. He turned back to Neville one last time.

"You're a really great kid Neville; your parents would be proud."

He walked up the steps and reached the entrance to the tunnel. As soon as he walked back far enough, and the portrait was able to swing close, the wizard felt a single, hot tear stream down his cheek. Aubrielle had just finished with Nielah's hair and noticed the moment of appreciation between the two wizards. Slightly perplexed, she walked over to her boyfriend.

"Are you okay?"

He looked at her to see her forehead knit in confusion and a sense of worry in her eyes. He took her and wrapped her in his arms, wanting to feel her heartbeat against his chest. It was there, steady and strong. The Ravenclaw giggled a little, still unsure of what the Hell was happening, which made Neville laugh as well. He let her go and she whipped away the stained tear. He beamed at her.

"I love you so much."

She smiled at him and stood up on her tiptoes so she could leave a lingering kiss on his lips. She pulled away slowly and looked into his eyes.

"I love you too."

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Emolly was rolling her wand in the palm of her hand. She hated not being able to use magic. It was like a part of her was missing. Not only that, but she knew for a fact that the longer a witch withheld her magic, the weaker it would be the next time she tried to perform it. It was eating her up on the inside. Three weeks? Not only that, but once she could use magic again, she was only allowed to do remedial spells. She wasn't allowed to anything more powerful than Expelliarmus for an additional two weeks after that. She grunted in frustration and flopped back into her cot. This was torture!

"What's got you in a huff?"

She lifted her head up to see Dean Thomas smirking at her from the foot of her bed. She grunted and flung her head back on her pillow again. She felt him sit on the side of her bed but she didn't look at him again. She was being selfish right now and Dean's sweet talking wasn't going to make things better. She wanted to wallow in her troubles at the moment and she had no problem admitting that.

"I. Want. To. Do. MAGIC."

"Well you can't so stop pouting. It's not helping anything you know."

"GRR!"

She rolled over on to her good side and curled into a ball. Dean just laughed at her and brushed her long, blonde hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He was happy to at least see her worrying about something other than what the Slytherin girls were saying about her. He took her by her shoulder and gently rolled her over so she was facing him. She had a big pout on her face and unwanted tears were softly trickling from her amber eyes. He whipped them away with his thumb.

"Hey, c'mon now, it's alright. It's not that much longer. In a week you'll be able to do the simple stuff again."

"I don't want to do the simple stuff though. I want to do my Patronus again; I want to see my little hummingbird zoom around the room! It's going to be terrible once I can actually try it again. Five weeks without practicing it?"

She took her wand and clutched it to her chest. Her hummingbird was her pride and joy. If it weren't to standards again than it wouldn't be that effective-

"Your Patronus has never been anything short of flawless Em. I'm sure it will be amazing even after 5 weeks of not-"

"No it won't!"

She turned away from the wizard again, much to his disappointment. She was being particularly stubborn today. He got off the cot and walked to the other side and squatted on the floor so the witch had no choice but to look at him.

"I think I know what would cheer you up."

"Yeah? Can you suddenly cure my insides so I can do magic again?"

"Well, no, but I have something that will take your mind off of it."

She raised her eyebrow at him as he stood up and held out his hand. She sat up in the bed and slowly placed her hand in his. They intertwined their fingers together and Dean slowly led the Slytherin out of the Room of Requirement and into the hallway. They started walking down the hall but soon reached one of the grand moving staircases. They stepped onto the first step and the mass immediately started moving. Dean kept dragging her here and there, following the pattern of the steps. She had given up asking questions early on, but this was really confusing her. She had absolutely no idea where they were going. They reached a floor, she had no idea which one because she had lost track, and started walking down a narrow hallway. It was barely lit, just a few simple lanterns placed every so often, and it was really making things seem eerie, especially since she wasn't allowed to perform magic if the situation called for it. Yet, at the same time, with Dean holding her hand, she felt that nothing wrong could happen to her. There was a small door at the end of the hall and Dean took out his wand.

"Alohamora."

The lock clicked and he was able to easily push the thick wooden door. He slowly opened it and brought the two of them inside before shutting it behind him. It was pitch black.

"Uhmm…"

"Incendio."

A small spark shot out of the wizard's wand and found a flammable thread covered in oil. As soon as it caught, it spread like a fiendfyre and soon the flame was following the rope. Around the room it went, breaking off and lighting separate little canisters. '_The beauty of magic.'_ Pretty soon, once the entire room was illuminated, the Slytherin was able to make out the bigger picture. There, in front of her, floating in mid air, was the entire star system, burning bright. Her jaw dropped and she suddenly felt so small. This was amazing!

"What…how…holy shit! What is this?"

"The old astronomy room. Once classes got bigger, and they couldn't fit everyone in here, they moved it to the new tower. I found this during fifth year but haven't showed anyone because I liked knowing that it was special to me. Obviously it's really hard to find…"

Emolly looked around the room and sure enough, there were a bunch of tables and chairs pushed up against one of the walls. She looked back at the figurine again. As she walked closer she could see tiny wires connecting the contained flames. It was like a giant sphere in a sense. It was really beautiful to see it lit up like that, with everything else pitch black. She looked through the globe to seen Dean looking around, just as she was, with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"So…does this make you feel better?"

She smiled at him, "Yes."

"Ten points to Gryffindor."

She laughed a little and made her way back towards him. She had always been confused as to what her exact feelings were for him, but this just cemented them for her. He had never shown ANYONE this but he was showing her. That obviously meant a lot to him and truthfully, it made her feel so special. Not only that, but he always wanted her to feel happy and he took such good care of her. She walked around the globe and finally reached him. Without saying anything, they made prefect eye contact and it was almost as if they read each other's thoughts. She reached up and cupped his face and brought his lips to hers. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and drew her in close to him. She opened her mouth for him and let him slip his tongue into her, wanting nothing more than to deepen the kiss. Emolly didn't know if it was her hormones, the small flames around the room, her feelings finally coming out, or a combination of all three, but she wanted to stay with him in the room forever. She wanted to forget about the war that was getting closer day by day. She wanted to forget about Blaise and every thing that he had done to her. She wanted to forget about Pansy and the bitch that she was. She wanted to forget about everything and just be with Dean. Even if she couldn't be in there forever, she was going to make this last as long as humanly possible, and that's just what she did.

(Friday, March 13th)

"Oh happy day!"

Emolly got out of her bed and rushed over to the other side of the Room where Dean's cot was situated. She forcefully jumped on top of him with a thud and he made a loud groan. Even though most of the Army was already up and about, with the younger students heading to class and the sixth and seventh years using their day off to get things done, Dean was still sawing logs. That kid could sleep through a thunderstorm without even flinching. Emolly rolled him over so he could look at her. Her long blonde hair fell in his face and tickled him and he wrinkled his face together.

"Duel me, duel me, duel me! Please!"

"Wh…what?"

He sat up in his cot with her still sitting on his lap. The sheet that was wrapped around him fell and the witch realized that he was topless. She let her eyes roam his sculpted chest and admired the grooves of his defined six-pack. He smirked at her and she was brought back to the present.

"I get to use magic today! I'm off magical probation! Duel me!"

"You're still not allowed to use anything powerful though."

"That's okay…I'll still be able to kick your lazy ass."

She jumped off him and put her hand on her hips. His jaw dropped.

"Well! Looks like someone thinks too highly of herself. Okay, let me wake up and get ready and then I'll show you how it's done."

"HA!"

Emolly ran back to her bed and took her wand out of her trunk. She was beyond excited to use magic again! She had never realized how much it had meant to her until she wasn't allowed to use it. She went back to Dean, who was now fully dressed, '_Damn,'_ and watched him as he took out his wand.

"Alright Goldster. Time for you to learn from a master."

"Ahem…I'm the one in the University Level charms class…"

"Yeah, well….whatever. I'm still gonna beat you with my brute force and manly abilities."

He wriggled his eyebrows, making her crack up. Her side didn't hurt nearly as much when she laughed, but there was still a small pain there, always reminding her that she was damaged, crippled.

"Okay hot shot. Lets go."

They went to the strip in the middle of the Room that was designated for dueling. Neville and Aubrielle noticed the two with their wands drawn and went to check things out. Aubrielle smiled at her best friend.

"Emolly finally gets off prohibition and she's already picking fights. I would expect nothing less from you."

The Slytherin smiled at her friend and then turned back to Dean.

"Ready?"

"I was born ready-"

"Stupefy!"

Emolly quickly pointed her wand at the Gryffindor and fired off the spell before he could even finish his sentence. She felt the immediate effects of the magic flow through her body. She had never noticed it before, but since she hadn't used magic in three weeks, it was really noticeable now. The wizard was on his ass and holding his head. He looked up at the blonde to find her smiling and jumping up and down. No matter; he had let her get that the first spell off. Still on his arse, he pointed his wand at her.

"Levicorpus."

She stopped smiling when she was quickly lifted into the air and thrown backwards. She landed on her back with a thud and a groan. Her side started to throb a little but she ignored the pain. Now she was in full combat mode, the euphoria of using magic again quickly leaving her. She stood up and fired the spell right back at him.

"Levicorpus!"

He flew high into the air, almost hitting the ceiling, and hit high on the back wall, finally flying to the floor. Emolly felt another wave of magic course through her veins and her side started heating up.

"No, no, no, no! Expelliarmus!"

The wizard's wand flew out of his hand and landing at her feet. She bent over to claim her prize but her side restricted her from doing so.

"Ouch! Damnit! NO!"

She was so frustrated now! She was finally able to use magic again but her side was acting up terribly. The pain was starting to get to her. Aubrielle watched her with worry as she saw her best friend experience more and more pain.

"Em, maybe you should rest for a litt-"

"NO! Incarcerous!"

The ropes flew towards the seventh year and wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders and torso. He just sat there and took it all, seeing how frustrated she was getting. It broke his heart to see her in so much pain. This had meant so much to her and now it slipping from her grip. She bent over and clutched her ribs.

"No!"

"Emolly please stop!"

Aubrielle went over to her friend and placed her hand on her shoulder. The Slytherin quickly shook it off, much to Aubrielle's surprise.

"Emolly-"

"Don't Aubs. I don't want your damn sympathy right now."

"I'm not giving you sympathy; I'm just watching out for you! You tried too much too soon. You need to rest."

"She's right."

Neville walked up to Dean and released him from his constraints. The pain in Emolly's side heightened and she crumpled to the ground. That was it. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was just too weak. Too weak to be a proper witch. She felt like crawling into a dark hole and curling up into a ball.

"A-aubs this i-is killing m-me!"

The brunette sat on the ground with her and cradled her friend. This was beyond devastating for the Slytherin and the sad trust was…there was nothing Aubrielle could do about it. She couldn't magically heal her so that she could do magic again. This was a type of injury that just needed to take its course. Emolly lifted her head up to see everyone looking at her. Daphne, Neville, Dean, and Nielah were hovering over her like she was some type of experiment. The blonde suddenly stood up and the pain shot up her body. She didn't care though; she just wanted to get away from all these people and out of this depressing Room.

She clutched her wand and ran out of the Room, despite everyone calling after her. She shot out of the doors and sprinted through the halls, weaving in and out of the students that were walking to their next class. The tears were still running down her cheeks and she was getting strange and confused stares from everyone as she ran out the large double doors that led out the castle. It was a rainy day in March and she let the rain drench her all the way through.

"EMOLLY STOP!"

Dean was running behind her, trying to get her to stop. Instead, she spun around and faced him with her wand drawn.

"Expelliarmus!"

She shot the spell at him so quickly that he was surprised he had time to react. He blocked her spell with his wand but she wasn't done yet. She blocked out the pain that was now steadily pulsing through her and unleashed herself on the Gryffindor.

"Stupefy!" Another sharp jolt. "Levicorpus!" It was getting worse and worse. "Confundus!" But Dean was blocking everything and gaining ground on her. She was in so much pain at this point that she felt like throwing up. She was absolutely soaking wet and her hair was in her eyes. She tried one last spell.

"Petrificus To-"

"STOP." Dean had caught up to her and grabbed the wand right out of her hand. She stood there, the pain her side absolutely unbearable, and fell into the wizard's chest. He wrapped her up in his arms and steadied her as the pain and emotions came in gushing waves. Pretty soon, she didn't know the difference between her tears and the rain. Dean stood there, not bothered by the rain at all, and just held her. He took one of his arms and put it under her knees before hoisting her up bridal style. He brought her back into the castle and sat down on a bench right inside of the giant double doors.

"I'm s-so weak Dean. So w-weak. I can't even d-defend myself if I n-need to."

"And that's why I'll always be by your side. I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you."

He meant it too.

**Review?**


	24. Potions and Priorities

**New update! Sorry that these are getting up later but less and less people are reading this every time and I'm getting NO reviews now. I feel like you guys are loosing interest! Trust me, it's going to get better with the battle quickly approaching. Keep the faith!**

(Saturday, March 14th)

The Room of Requirement was almost empty, save for a handful of students, when Aberforth came through the portrait with a sack in one hand. Neville went over to the wizard, hoping that it was the ingredients that he had asked for, and greeted him.

"Aberforth. Coming over unannounced now, yeah?"

"Well Ariana already told me that you were here, so I felt that there was no need to make an entrance."

"Understandable. What's in the sack?"

The wizard handed the parcel to the Gryffindor. Neville opened it up, the smile on his face growing. It was exactly what he had asked for.

"Thanks Ab."

"Best be keeping that well hidden though. If Snape were to find those, well-"

"He won't. I know exactly where I am keeping them. I'm not even going to tell Aubrielle about it. If I do, she'll freak out for reasons that are too long to name right now."

"Sounds good son. I've got get going though. Work and all. I'll be in touch shortly."

"Thank you."

The old man walked up the stone steps and was gone as quickly as he had come. Neville took the small burlap bag and stuffed it in his robe pocket. He went over to retrieve his wand from his cot before exiting the Room and heading for the greenhouses.

He walked quickly, just wanting to hide the substances in his pocket, and darted back to his little office. He shut the door behind him and used several spells to ensure that there would be no intruders, namely his girlfriend who loved to surprise him at his office unannounced. He took a large wooden bowl off one of his shelves and grabbed the corresponding grinder. He untied the knot on the bag and carefully took out each ingredient. Phoenix feather, moondew, fluxweed, dittany, and dragon blood. All the ingredients to make Doua Sansa were there and he did not waste any time in making the reviving potion. After Aubrielle had told him of her nightmare that she had some months prior, he actually felt that it was a good idea to give her her own vial full of it. If she were in battle, she would be able to save herself. The reason he was refusing to tell her was the fact that it would cause her to think that her dream was actually some sort of sign or the future, and he didn't want her to think like that. Sure, Neville had no idea what was going to happen in this war, and he might end up dead by the end of it, but he knew his girlfriend and he didn't want her stressing herself out. That was the last thing that she needed. He took the ingredients and put them in the bowl before grinding away at them. It would take him some time to make it perfect, because that's how he wanted it, but he knew that his hard work would pay and it would give him a peace of mind.

o.O.o

"Emolly, Madame Pomfrey said that his type of injury couldn't be fixed by magic or a spell. It has to take its time."

"She didn't say anything about potions, Dean!" 

Emolly was flying down the library's main aisle, heading straight towards the university section. If there even was a potion that could heal her, it would be university level. She did a quick turn on her heel and was immediately scanning the old and worn bindings. '_Potions for Reviving Wounded Wizards and Witches.' _

"Aha!"

She pulled out the large book and slammed it down on the table behind her. Before she could open it, however, a large hand slid the book out of her reach.

"Dean…"

"Emolly, no! This is NOT going to help you! You heard what Madame Pomfrey said! You are being too paranoid about this!"

"No I am not! I just want to get better!"

"Than you need to let time take it's toll and let your wounds heal the PROPER WAY!"

"I can't wait that long!" 

"You have no choice!" 

They were screaming at each other, both of them balling their hands into fists, and a little second year came around the corner to tell them to shut it. Emolly and Dean, not wanting to be rude, continued their conversation in hushed whispers and through gritted teeth. Truthfully, the quiet yelling was way more intimidating to the both of them.

"You don't understand-"

"I understand that you are frustrated Emolly but for once can you please not be so damn stubborn?"

"Stubborn! HA! If you were in my situation, you would be doing the same thing as me."

"No, I would let it heal properly!" 

"I can't wait that long!"

"WHY! I still don't understand why you can't just follow directions-"

"BECAUSE I'M SCARED DEAN!"

She quickly shut her mouth. She never wanted to admit it to him, but she was terrified. She was absolutely scared shitless that she would lose her powers, her skills, and she wouldn't be able to take care of herself. Sure, Dean had told her that he would always be by her side. But would he really be able to protect the both of them? And against thousands of death eaters? C'mon now; she knew that that was far fetched. He looked at her and could see the genuine hurt in her eyes.

"You saw how weak I was. I won't be able to defend myself. I won't be able to fight. I won't be able to help the Army. I'll be useless. I'll be dead girl walking-"

"No, you won't."

"Yes I will! Stop kidding yourself Dean! This isn't a practice duel we are talking about. We're talking about Lord Vold-"

"EM!"

"The Dark Lord. We are talking about thousands of death eaters."

"Okay but what if you conjure up some spell and it effects you like the charms did? What if you think you're better and you try magic again and it just makes things worse like last time? Then you're really screwed and you know it!"

"I have to try-"

"Please! I'm pretty much begging you here! Don't."

"Dean-"

"Nope. I'm not letting you do this." 

And, without any warning, the Gryffindor went over to the witch, picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Dean!" 

She pounded her fists on his back but he ignored it. He carried her straight out of the library and away from that dreaded book. Down the halls they went, getting strange looks from the random student here and there as Emolly kept protesting.

"Put…me….down!" 

"Nope. I'm finishing this conversation and I'm telling you that this is over. You are going to listen to Madame Pomfrey."

"You're not my bloody father!"

"No, but I am your boyfriend and I care about you and your safety."

He walked straight to the blank wall and spoke the password. The large doors appeared and he carried her into the Room of Requirement. Aubrielle raised her brow as she watched the two yelling at each other. Dean went over to Emolly's cot and plopped her down on her bed. She was red with anger and it was obvious that she was not happy with the wizard. She went to kick him in protest but he was already on top of her with her hands pinned over her head. Aubrielle walked over to them and smirked.

"Kinky."

"Shut it Aubs! Now isn't the time!"

"Can I ask why?"

"Dean's being an arse!"

The Gryffindor turned and looked at the brunette, "I am not! She's trying every trick in the book. She thinks she can conjure up some advanced potion that will speed up the healing process. I think it's only going to hurt her even more."

The Ravenclaw sat down on a near by chair. Truth be told, she DID know of a very powerful healing potion. She was in University Potions for Merlin's sake. It wasn't something like Doua Sansa, where it revived someone, but a thick liquid that healed severe wounds. She had to silently agree with Dean, however. The potion was known for being spotty and the side effects were atrocious.

"Well?"

Aubrielle looked at her best friend, confused. "What?"

"I asked…do you know of a potion? C'mon Aubs, you're in University Potions! You must know of one!"

Looks like the Slytherin was practically reading her mind. She looked from Dean to Emolly and then back to Dean. He had a threatening look on his face, as if he knew the truth, but wanted her to lie for him. This was her best friend, who was really hurting. Aubrielle definitely agreed with Dean; but should she lie to Emolly? If she was in her spot, would she want her to tell her the truth? Aubrielle sighed.

"Yeah, I know of a potion."

"I KNEW IT!"

"But it's not reliable Em! It only works sixty percent of the time and the side effects are absolutely terrible. We're talking about extreme fatigue, constant vomiting, brutal headaches, and sudden insomnia. Even if it does heal your wounds, you'll be so exhausted that your magic will be weak anyway. It's not worth the risk in my opinion."

"Well it's not your body so it's not your choice. What's it called?" 

"I…um-"

"Tell me Aubs!"

Dean looked back at Emolly, who was still pinned underneath him. He realized that there was nothing he could say or do to change the blonde's mind. She was going to do whatever it took to get better, even if that meant being irrational. He got off her and looked at the Ravenclaw.

"Just tell her. There is nothing we can do to change her mind, no matter how many times we tell her that she is hurting herself."

Emolly threw her hands up, "THANK YOU!"

Aubrielle sighed. He was right. "It's called Vivos Fascia. The ingredients are rare though and I doubt Slughorn would give them to me."

Emolly got off the cot and went over to her friend. "You have to try though! Please Aubrielle? This would mean so much to me!"

"Yeah, I'll try. I'm not making any promises though Em."

(Wednesday, March 18th)

Aubrielle was right when she said the ingredients were rare. Slughorn only had 3 in his stash and she still needed three more. He was very skeptical as to why she needed the ingredients for Vivos Fascia anyway. They had learned the potion over two months ago and he found it weird that she was bringing up again. She told him it was for personal reasons, however, and said she would give him a sample of it when she was finished if he desired. This, of course, sold him and he said he would try and get everything for her by the end of the month. When the Ravenclaw told this to Emolly, the latter was of course upset, but she couldn't blame her friend. Aubrielle had warned her of this.

They were all sitting and talking in the Room of Requirement after a long and drooling day of classes. Wednesdays were the absolute worse. Aubrielle was sitting on Neville's lap at the desk while Dean, Emolly, Lavender, and Seamus danced along to some old fashioned sounding tune that was on the radio. Susan Bones entered the Room and slowly approached the six seventh years. She looked shyly at Aubrielle.

"Aubrielle? Can I talk to you real quick?"

"Of course Susan."

She got off of Neville's lap, much to his disappointment, and walked out of earshot with the Hufflepuff.

"What's up?"

"I don't mean to pry, but I just saw Nielah crying in one of the hallways. She was walking somewhere and when I called out to her, she wouldn't answer me."

"Do you remember which way she was going?"

"Towards the owlry."

"Ah. That explains it. Thank you Susan."

"S'no problem."

Aubrielle looked back at her boyfriend and gave him an apologetic looked before mouthing the word_, 'Nielah.' _He nodded his head, understanding that something was up, and watched her go as she disappeared from the Room and into the hall. Nielah may be a fifth year this year, but she was still young and having their mother in hiding was really affecting her. Whenever she was having an anxiety attack, which she had every once in while, she would go and talk to their family owl, Hera. Aubrielle made her way towards the owlry and climbed the stone steps. She could immediately make out the sounds of someone crying.

"Nie?"

She turned the corner to see her sister sitting on one of the benches with her knees brought up to her chest. She was petting Hera, who was perched right next to her. The fifth year had tears streaking her rosy cheeks as she perked her head up to look at her older sister. Aubrielle went over to her and sat down on the edge of the bench. She took her arm and put it around her sister's waist, letting Nielah fall into her chest. She broke down even more, being in her sister's arms, and let it all out. Aubrielle ran her fingers through her sister's hair and rubbed her back.

"Shhh, it's okay Nie. Let it out. It's okay."

"I-I miss m-mum."

"I know. I miss her too."

Nielah clutched her sister's sweater and burrowed her head in her chest.

"I'm s-scared too."

Aubrielle's eyes started to water and she could feel the familiar lump in her throat begin to form. She hated seeing her little sister like this and truthfully, she was scared too. She was petrified of what could happen because the future was so murky at this point. She had no idea where she would be in a month's time and that was terrifying for any teenager. No one was brave enough to openly admit it though and Aubrielle had always held in her fear. She was a role model in the Army and she wanted to be the strong one that kept all the little ones optimistic. But now that this was just her and her sister, she was going to be true to herself and let it out along with her.

"Everyone is scared Nie. I'm terrified."

Nielah lifted her head up to meet her sister's glassy hazel eyes. "You are?"

"Of course I am!"

"B-but you don't seem l-like it at all!" 

"That's because I keep it in. I don't show it so the little ones won't get too freaked out. Trust me; I'm just as afraid as you are."

Nielah rested her head back into her sister's chest. The words were both reassuring and unnerving at the same time. The fact that her older sister, someone who she looked up to and someone that was always so strong was afraid was a scary thought. But, at the same time, now Nielah knew that she wasn't alone. Even after the tears had dried and the sobs had subsided, the two Song girls still sat there in the owlry, wrapped in each other's arms. In the end, after everything they had fought for and everything they had been through, they were still teenagers. They were still normal kids who had the pressures of school, boys, gossip, and family to worry about it. Setting a war on top of all that was like putting that final object on a seesaw. It was nearly impossible to balance it all and Aubrielle was thoroughly surprised that no one had fallen under all the pressure yet. Almost all the students were able to keep their head over the water, so to speak. The only person that seemed to be crumpling a little more each day was Emolly. She was, in all honesty, getting stronger every day because now that she was waiting for Aubrielle's potion ingredients to come in, she wasn't rushing her healing process. No matter how many times the Ravenclaw told her this, however, she still believed that the potion was the best route to take. There was no chance of swaying the Slytherin when she got something in her head. She was stubborn, hard headed, and unyielding, but that was something that Aubrielle loved about her best friend. It would be just a matter of time before the ingredients DID come in, however, and when they did, the brunette promised to tell her friend. Maybe she would 'accidentally' forget to mention one, however…

(Thursday, March 19th)

Ironically enough, Slughorn received the last few materials the very next day. Aubrielle went to his office to pick them up from him and shoved them into her book bag. He was surprised to see her so frustrated.

"Ms. Song? I got you the ingredients, so what's got you in a huff?"

She looked up at her professor, whom she admired deeply. "Nothing sir. Just a rough week is all. Thank you for getting these for me."

"I understand dearie, and of course. I expect a sample in my office in no more than a week."

"Yes sir."

The seventh year turned on her heel and briskly walked out of the classroom. There was no way that she could keep this a secret from Emolly. She had to have a sample vile for Slughorn by next week! She had to make the potion and, on top of that, she knew that the safest place to brew one would be the Room of Requirement where teachers and the Carrows couldn't peak in unannounced. It would be literally impossible to try and hide an entire brewing station. Emolly would get the potion, like she had asked for, and, in the end, would feel the consequences of her choices. Aubrielle just prayed to Merlin that her friend would be part of the successful sixty percent and not be unlucky enough to be in the bottom forty.

**Review PLEASE.**


	25. With Friends Brings Danger

**I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LATE! I have been BEYOND busy with finals and moving out of college and I am terribly sorry that this update is so late! Here is a new update though! OH, and…..the battle is coming up real soon so keep reading. :) **

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Emolly quickly drank the thick liquid. Her face twisted into a look of pure disgust as the vile smelling (and tasting) potion made its way down her throat. She had the sudden urge to vomit but Aubrielle had told her that it was crucial to fight the feeling and keep it down. It was simply her body reacting against the multiple foreign ingredients. She clasped her hand over her mouth and dropped the glass goblet onto the stone floor, shattering it into thousands of pieces. She took her other hand and gripped onto Dean, who was standing next to her with a concerned look on his face. He braced himself and steadied her against him as she fought her stomach's constant retching. This was absolutely miserable! After a minute or two the pain subsided and she was able to take a deep breath. Now all she had to do was wait 24 hours to see if it worked or not. She wasn't allowed to use magic in any form until than. She would either be healed, or feel the wrath of the side effects.

Twenty-four hours later…

Emolly was hunched over a toilet in the prefect's bathroom, her flowing tears mixing with her constant puking as her body rejected the potion time and time again. Aubrielle silently cried behind her friend as she held her long blonde hair back for her. Emolly was part of the unlucky forty percent. Her magic was never going to be as strong as it once was and fighting in this war was now going to be more life threatening than before because she would most likely be marked as an easy target. Aubrielle wasn't about to tell her that though. Bottom line was this; Emolly's magic was never going to be the same, all thanks to Blaise Zabini.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

March rolled into April even slower than February had rolled into March. The spring season at Hogwarts was miserable, to say the least, and the skies never seemed to be clear or sunny. It was the same thing every day, cloudy, dark, gray, and dull. It was enough to put students in a gloomy mood, that was for sure. Aubrielle and Nielah still had not heard anything about their mother, not really to their surprise, but the Song sisters were still hoping for some speck of news, something that could hold them over. But, alas, nothing. Nielah cried some nights, sometimes Aubrielle did too.

It was sometime in late April when Neville finally decided to give Aubrielle her small vile of Doua Sansa. The reviving potion was in a crystal container and attached to a long leather string so that the Ravenclaw could tie it around her neck and wear it as a necklace. The witch was making her bed one Sunday morning when her boyfriend approached her with a serious look on his face. She raised a curious eyebrow at him and he gently kissed her temple.

"Sit down for a second, yeah?"

"Oh…okay."

She sat down on her cot and fiddled her thumbs. This was weird, really weird. Why was he acting like this? Why was he acting so…suspicious? He sat down next to her and put his hand on her exposed skin between the hem of her skirt and the top of her knee high socks. Without looking at her at her he simply said, "Don't freak out, please."

"This sounds good."

"I have something for you. A gift of some sorts."

The Ravenclaw giggled. "If it's a gift than why would I freak out?"

"Because it's this…" The Gryffindor reached into his pant pocket and pulled out the familiar liquid. Aubrielle's eyes widened as he uncovered it, just as he suspected.

"Is that…"

"Doua Sansa."

He took the necklace and placed it in the palm of her hand and curled her fingers around it. She looked at her hand before looking back at him. Her nightmare came back in flashes as she remembered why she had woken up with tears covering her pillow. Nielah was barely alive; she pulled out the liquid and revived her before carrying her into the Great Hall. Then she went and saw Neville lying on the cot, cold and dead… Before she could say anything, however, he explained himself.

"Please, don't think about this too much. After you told me about your dream, your nightmare, I couldn't help but think about this war. I just want you to be safe; I want you to live. If you don't make it out alive, I'll… I d-don't know w-what I'll do and…"

He was choking up and his words started coming out in sputters. He didn't want to get emotional, he had promised himself that he wouldn't, but he couldn't help it. The thought of losing the person that he loved most was just too much for him. Aubrielle looked at her hand and than back at her boyfriend. It was so rare to see him cry like this and she knew it was him putting another wall down. She thumbed away a stray tear that was falling down his cheek.

"I know Neville. I know. I don't want to lose you either."

She took the lanyard and put it around her neck before tucking the vile under her shirt. She knew that this meant a lot to him and at this point, she had completely forgotten about her nightmare that she had had months prior. She took his face and cupped it in her hands.

"Thank you. I love you."

She left a passionate, lingering kiss on his lips, silently telling him that she would try as hard as she could to live. She would do everything in her power to make it through this war and she would fight until the very end. She was going to do it for him, do it for Nielah, do it for her mother, and do it for herself. She would make it. She had to. She didn't have any other options, not in her mind.

(Luna Comes Back)

The radio was turned on high as a bunch of students started dancing in the center of the Room to some old vaudeville sounding music. It was a humid Friday in the castle, but for the first time in a while, spirits were somewhat high. The school year was winding down in a sense and with Snape being more easy going with the rules; life inside the school seemed to be easier. Aubrielle was giggling as Neville twirled her and spun her, and occasionally dipped her down to lay a kiss on her lips. Neville had always been a talented dancer, especially after fancying it so much during their fourth year when the school hosted the Yule Ball during the Triwizard Tournament. Dean was also trying to get Emolly to lighten up. The Slytherin had finally accepted the fact that her magic needed time and she hadn't performed any in three weeks or so, which made Aubrielle extremely happy. The blonde was finally starting to smile when Dean started making a fool out of himself by doing absolutely ridiculous dance moves. She was laughing hard now and got up to join him. Katie Bell and Oliver Wood were also having a blast along side Seamus and Lavender. There were some other younger students dancing as well, not necessarily in couples like the seventh years, but just letting loose and being kids for once. It was a beautiful sight.

Ariana loudly cleared her throat in the portrait. For such a quiet girl, she always made herself known. Neville reluctantly left his pouting girlfriend and walked over to the portrait.

"What is it Ariana?"

"You have a visitor."

With those words, she swung the portrait open. When Neville finally got a glimpse of who was behind it, tears started flowing freely down his cheeks. Screw being manly; it was someone who he thought could possibly be dead.

"LUNA!"

The entire Army turned to see if what they had heard was correct. Sure enough, standing in the entryway, with her hair in long, wild blonde curls was Luna Lovegood. Other than a small black eye, she looked healthy and untouched. Neville knew not to jump to conclusions though. The witch had most likely gone through a lot in the past 4 months. The Ravenclaw walked down the jutted stones with trunk in hand as the Room filled with gasps, whispers, cheers, claps, and the sounds of crying. Apparently, people had missed her. She set down her luggage and was immediately wrapped into Neville's arms. He was really crying now, letting all the fear and worry that had been pent up inside of him be released. He was just so happy to see her _alive_. He pulled away and looked into her crystal blue eyes. She was crying too.

"I have so much to tell you."

"As do I."

(Early May. Harry Arrives.)

The Room of Requirement was packed with Army members when Ariana called out for Neville. He walked over to the portrait and looked at the young woman.

"Is Ab coming through?"

"No. He needs you to come to him." 

"What?" Neville had never traveled through the portrait before! What was this about?

"Come. He says that it's a surprise."

Neville glanced back at Aubrielle, who looked extremely perplexed and distraught. She did NOT want her boyfriend leaving the grounds because she knew that there were way too many dangers out there. She went over to him and kissed him hard.

"Be safe."

"I will."

He slowly walked up the stone stairs as the portrait swung open. His hands were lightly shaking from nerves as he peered down the long, dark, and damp hallway. It was really eerie looking. He tentatively started walking and jumped a little when the picture clicked shut behind him. It was suddenly a lot darker. He quickly whipped out his wand. "Lumos!" The little light helped brighten the passage way and he continued on his way. It seemed as if he had been walking for a while. It had to be a couple of miles at least. How long was this anyway? He finally reached the other side and gently pushed open the door with his wand ready. He had no idea what was on the other side.

"NEVILLE?" 

There, in front of him, was the Golden Trio.

"HARRY! HERMIONE! RON!"

He jumped down and engulfed his friends in a bear hug. He was beyond excited to see them again. Words couldn't even express how happy he was at that moment in time. He pulled away to see a tear in Hermione's eye. She was always emotional like that.

"What the bloody Hell are you three doing here!"

"We need to get into the castle." Harry ran his fingers through his surprisingly long hair. Neville smiled at his fellow Gryffindors.

"Follow me than."

They walked through the dark hallway, Neville leading the way, as Harry pelted him with questions.

"What passage is this? It wasn't on the Marauder's Map."

"Ab made it and connected it to headquarters. As far as I am concerned, this is the only way in or out of the school."

"How is Hogwarts now? How's Snape?"

"Never see him. He is always locked away in his office. The real people to look out for are the Carrows."

"Carrows?"

"Brother and sister death eaters. They're bloody brutal. Amycus is in charge of punishments. He's a big fan of the Unforgivables."

Hermione squeaked, "The Unforgivables!"

"Oh yeah. He used the Cruciatus Curse on Aubrielle and I when he figured out we were dating."

Hermione gasped as Ron searched for her hand in the dark. She immediately took it in her own and intertwined her fingers with his.

"But why would that matter that you two are dating?"

"There was a new rule set in at the beginning of the year. You weren't allowed to talk to anyone outside of your house. It made it bloody difficult to form the Army again."

"You started it up again?"

Harry was in disbelief. Sure, Neville had always been a great friend and Harry knew that the Gryffindor had courage in him, but he didn't think it was enough to start Dumbledore's Army again!

"Yeah. Gin, Luna, and I got on that as soon as we could. We recruited a lot of new members too."

"Speaking of Ginny-"

"Oh you'll get to see my sister soon enough lover boy!"

Ron rolled his eyes even though no one could see it.

"Harry never shut up about her. Never. 'Oh! I wonder if she's okay! I just want to hold her and kiss her and blah blah blah…' It got real old, real quick."

Neville chuckled. For being the Chosen One, Harry _was _pretty sappy. They reached the other end of the tunnel and Neville put out his wand.

"Nox. Now, stand behind me. Lets have some fun, yeah?"

He pushed open the portrait to see the Army anxiously waiting for him. They were all concerned as to why he had to travel to the other side when, normally, Aberforth was the only one who did so. He smiled down at them, especially making eye contact with Aubrielle. Seamus looked up at his friend.

"What's going on Neville?"

"I've got a present for the lot of you."

"Yeah? What's that?"

He stepped aside to reveal the Golden Trio and the Army members immediately erupted in applause. There was an immediate atmosphere shift as hope and joy filled every single student there. In private, Luna had told Neville, Ginny, and Aubrielle about the Trio and what had happened at Malfoy Manner. The Army leaders decided to keep it between them, however, so the rest of the Army had no idea about the current state of their classmates. Therefore, their arrival was not only unexpected, but it was rejuvenating as well. Harry was still alive, he could still kill the Dark Lord, and this war can still be won. While the four Gryffindors made it to the floor, something dawned on Neville. Something absolutely terrifying. Before he could pull Harry aside, however, the Chosen One started talking.

"Hello all. I, err, need your help finding something."

Lavender smiled, "What is it?"

"I don't know. I, well, it has something to do with Ravenclaw house. It's something that would be a symbol of Rowena or the house as a whole. I don't know anything about Ravenclaw though…"

Nielah turned to Aubrielle and Luna, who were standing next to each other. The fifth year mouthed the word, 'diadem' to them. Luna's eyes lit up and she turned to Aubrielle.

"The lost diadem."

"OH!"

Harry turned to the girls, "what? What?"

"The lost diadem of Ravenclaw! That's got to be it!"

Cho cut in and caught Harry by surprise. What was she doing here? She graduated last year…

"It's called the lost diadem for a reason. It's been missing for centuries. Rumor has it that no one alive has seen it."

Ron looked frustrated as the girls went on talking. "What the Hell is a diadem?"

Hermione giggled. "It's like a crown. Well…a tiara."

"Okay. So how the Hell are we suppose to find something like that?"

Luna stepped foreword, "Well since no one alive has seen it-"

The familiar sound of the doors appearing echoed throughout the Room of Requirement as Ginny came running in in a tiff. She looked disheveled but relieved as she ran straight into her boyfriend's arms. He picked her off the ground and buried his head into her. He was so elated to see her that he couldn't hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. This just felt so right to him, her being in his arms, and he didn't want this moment to end. He hadn't seen her for months so this was his heaven at the moment. She pulled away and landed a fiery kiss on his lips. She loved him so much.

"Snape knows you're here. He heard about what happened in Hogsmeade. He wants everyone in the Great Hall…now."

The students immediately started running around, putting on their full uniforms and cloaks. Neville quickly pulled Aubrielle aside. That burning fear that he had realized earlier was happening right now.

"The war is coming here. Now. This war is about to hit us Aubrielle. You-Know-Who is going to go to wherever Harry is, and that's here."

Aubrielle's eyes widened as she came to terms with what her boyfriend was saying. He was right. This was about to hit them like the world's most powerful storm. She reached into her trunk and pulled out her Doua Sansa necklace. She quickly put it around her neck and tucked it under her shirt. She looked up to try and find her sister but instead found her best friend. Emolly, who hadn't used magic in a month. Emolly, who was still extremely weak and had no idea what kind of magic she could even perform. Emolly. She turned to her boyfriend.

"Tell Dean and Emolly. She doesn't know what magic she can perform and-"

"Got it." He kissed her quickly before running off towards the couple. It was mass chaos in the Room. Students were running out as soon as they had their uniforms on and the noise was deafening. Nielah came running to her sister with her wand in hand.

"This war is coming, isn't it?" 

Aubrielle reached for her little sister and pulled her into her chest. "Yes. It is. We're going to be okay, though. We're gonna get through this, you hear me?" 

"Y-yeah I h-hear you."

The fifth year was holding back the sobs as her worst nightmare came true. She was about to fight death eaters and even more, fight for her life. This was about to be the longest day of all their lives.

**Again, sorry that this is so late! I know it moved quickly, but the actual war is going to be broken up into numerous chapters! Review!**


	26. Day of the Battle: Part 1

**And so the battle starts! Now that I'm home from college, these updates are going to be put up quicker! Plus, this part is so exciting that I can't stop writing! Hope you like it and review to tell me how I'm doing!**

**P.s. This follows the movie more than the book. Hope that's okay with everyone!**

(Day of the Battle Part 1)

Aubrielle was shaking. She was standing in the Great Hall along with her fellow Ravenclaws, clutching her little sister's hand as if it were her life line. Their Headmaster was saying something about Harry, something about turning him in if someone knew where he was, but it was all a buzz to the witch. Her ears were ringing and she wasn't paying attention at all. The only thing on her mind was war. War. War. War. War! People were going to die. She could be one of them. Nielah could be one of them. Neville could be one of them. Emolly could be one of them. She had no idea who would survive, how long it would go on for, or how many people they were up against. Probably thousands of death eaters… and other creatures that supported the Dark Lord…

Suddenly the giant double doors to the Great Hall opened and the Order of the Phoenix came strutting in. Snape's jaw dropped as he saw the sight before him. And he thought he had the castle on complete lock down…

Aubrielle head was swirling as the events came one after the other. There was the Order of Phoenix, which was an extremely satisfying sight because it gave her hope. Her mom could be here somewhere! And what…why is McGonagall fighting Snape? What the Hell? She's beating him! She's…'_Damn_,' thought the seventh year, _'McGonagall's a badass_.' Suddenly Snape was gone and the elder witch was lighting the torches in the Hall. Kids were cheering! What was going on?

"AHHHHH!"

There was a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the Great Hall as Padma Patil cupped her ears. It was dead silent as Harry ran over to her and put his hand gingerly on her shoulder.

"Padma, what's wrong?"

"I-I can h-hear him…"

"Who?"

Then…they could all hear him. Lord Voldemort was speaking to them. He was in every single one of their heads. Talking to them. Warning them. Threatening them.

"_I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise but this is a folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."_

Aubrielle looked down at her sister, who was just barely shorter than her as mass chaos ensued.

"One hour Nie. He's going to be here in one hour."

"I know Aubs. I know. You're gonna fight, right?"

"Yes. And you?"

"Until the very end."

There was another cheer heard as McGonagall ordered Mr. Filch to do something with the Slytherins. Aubrielle wasn't quite sure what was happening though; she wasn't paying any attention. Her mind was racing. She quickly pulled her sister into her and hugged her tight before whispering in her ear.

"What ever happens Nielah, stay true to yourself. Only use the Killing Curse if you absolutely have to. You hear me?"

"I hear you Aubs. How will I know you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me; just worry about yourself. Take care of yourself. Help anyone that needs it but please, don't go looking for me. That'll just keep you distracted."

"O-okay."

"Be brave Nielah."

"I will. I love you Aubrielle."

"I love you too Nielah."

Students started running to their dorms when Aubrielle gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek and sent her on her way. She felt someone's hand on her waist and spun around. She immediately jumped into Neville's arms and held on tight. This was it.

"I love you so much Aubrielle Song."

"I love you too Neville Longbottom."

He set her down on the ground and peered into her mesmerizing hazel eyes. This might be the last time that he ever saw them.

"I have to go. McGonagall's ordered me and Seamus to blow up the bridge-"

"Blow up the bridge?"

"Yeah. Less people can get to the castle that way."

"And less people can get out if they need to…"

"I know. Promise me you'll fight till the end? Promise me that you'll never give up Aubrielle."

"I won't."

"And use the Doua Sansa if you need to, please."

"I will."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too."

They shared a kiss, the most passionate kiss to ever pass between the two of them, before they were separated. They had no idea when they would see each other next, or even at all.

o.O.o

Kingsley walked over to Dean before the seventh year could reach Emolly.

"Dean, I need you at the Astronomy Tower."

"Right away sir. I need to...err…see someone first."

Dean was looking over the Auror's shoulder at Emolly, who was patiently waiting for him. She just wanted to share one last moment with him before she fought for her life. That was all. Kingsley caught his glance and followed it to the pretty blonde. He put his hand on Dean's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Take all the time you need Dean."

"Thanks."

He rushed over to the Slytherin and wrapped her up in his arms. She was lightly crying, which he hadn't noticed earlier. He pulled away and grabbed her face, bringing it to his. He tangled his fingers in her long blonde hair and brought her flush against him. It was as if they were in their own little world where nothing bad could happen. She put every emotion that her body could produce into that kiss. She was terrified, worried, unsure, anxious, in love, and unbelievably energized. She pulled away and looked into her classmate's eyes. Yes, she was in love with him.

"I love you Dean. You know that, don't you?"

"I know. I love you too Emolly. I'm just scared for you."

"My magic?"

"Yes. You don't know what you are and are not capable of doing Emolly. I just want you to stay safe. I want you to make it through this. I want you to hide."

"Hide? And let everyone else fight? ARE YOU CRAZY? Why do you think I joined the Army in the first place, Dean? I want to fight for what I believe in! I want to help!"

He was shaking his head with tears in his eyes, begging her to just do as he said. "Please Emolly! Go to the old Astronomy room. You know, the one that we…err….well you know what we did in there. Please! It's so well hidden and no one will be able to find you. On top of that, you can push all the desks and chairs in front of the door and bolt it shut. Please Emolly. PLEASE!"

She looked into his deep amber pools. Every word that he said was genuine and real. He just wanted her to live and she knew that.

"Okay. I'll hide."

"Thank you so much Emolly. I'll come get you when this is over."

He went to go run off but she grabbed his wrist before he could completely get away.

"What if you never come?"

He looked at her longingly, "Come out when the noise finally dies down."

There was a single tear running down his cheek as she nodded her head and ran off. Gods, he loved her so much.

o.O.o

Seamus and Neville were racing out to the bridge with sacks full off blasting powder. They were going to set some at various joints in the bridge's legs and send a single spark down to light them all. In a matter of seconds, the entire thing would be destroyed. The two boys made quick work with the powder as they scaled down the old wooden supports. Neville reached into his sack and grabbed a handful of the dark, thick powder and placed it at a corner piece. Seamus was doing the same thing, just on the other side.

"So, did you say bye to Aubrielle?"

"I told her that I love her but I didn't say good bye."

"Well why didn't you say good bye?" 

"Because good bye means that I won't see her again."

"You might not see her again mate."

"I know."

He closed the sack and put the drawstring in his mouth so he could move over to the next section. Once he was situated again, he continued the process.

"Well what about you Seamus? Did you finally tell Lavender how you feel?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And I promised her that we would be together if we both made it out alive."

"AWWWWWWWW."

"Can it Longbottom!" 

"Seamus Finnegan! You're in love!"

"SO ARE YOU!" 

"Yeah but I've been with Aubrielle for almost two years now and I had a crush on her for 6 years prior to that. And I'm open about it. You're not."

"Yeah yeah. Whatever Longbottom. I told her I loved her too. There, happy?"

"Well what did she say back mate?"

"She said…." And he mumbled the rest so that Neville couldn't hear. A giant smirk came across his face. This was so enjoyable to him, taunting his friend, even though it was moments before the most dangerous and biggest battle in wizarding world history. After all, they were still kids.

"What'd you say? Speak up!"

"I said…she said she loved me too."

"OOOOWWWWUUUUUUU! YOU DOG!"

"Would you just can it already? Besides, we're supposed to be putting this blasting powder on the bridge so we can bring it down. We're about to fight for our bloody lives, remember?"

Neville chuckled and padded another lump down on to a wooden beam. Yeah, how could he forget?

o.O.o

Her mum had to be somewhere; she just had to be! There were tons of older wizards and witches running through the castle. They were all people that were part of some type of rebel alliance. So her mother had to be here, right? Aubrielle went running through the castle, searching everywhere for her beloved mum. The entire Order of the Phoenix was present, as well as three to five other well known fighting forces. Where was she? She ran past Molly Weasley, someone whom her mother admired deeply.

"Mrs. Weasley!"

"Ah Aubrielle! How are you dearie?"

"Looking for my mum. Have you seen her?"

"Oh yes! I have actually! Check the library. I believe that that's where the Firebolt Fighters are stationed."

"Firebolt Fighters…?"

"Yes. That's what they call themselves because most of them fight from the air…on brooms."

Aubrielle grinned proudly. She always told people that she got her flying and Quidditch skills from her mum. "Wicked. Thanks!"

"No problem!"

But the Ravenclaw was already off and sprinting towards the Hogwart's library. She busted through the doors and started running down the aisles, turning her head from side to side to survey the wings. She could hear people talking up ahead, planning for the day, and she came upon the Firebolt Fighters. They all looked up to see who had interrupted them, including Mrs. Song. As soon as she saw her daughter she burst into tears. She ran up to her eldest daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Aubrielle! How did you find me?"

"Mrs. Weasley told me you were here. You didn't think I wouldn't search for you, did you?"

"I didn't want you worrying about me."

"I won't. I just wanted to see you before this battle broke out."

They pulled away from each other and Mrs. Song looked over her daughter.

"You have really grown up to be a beautiful young woman."

"All because I have an amazing mother."

"Where's Nie?"

"Getting prepared at the Ravenclaw tower."

"Gods, she's fighting?"

"Don't worry mum! We've been training all school year in an underground Army."

"You've WHAT?"

"I can't explain it all right now! Just know that we're prepared and we're skilled enough now!"

Mrs. Song looked at her daughter with pure pride and joy in her eyes. Her girls were part of an underground alliance? Not many mothers could say that. She smiled at Aubrielle.

"I trust you. Good luck today."

"You too mum, you too."

"I love you Aubrielle."

"I love you to mum."

They embraced one more time before Aubrielle was off and running again.

o.O.o

Aubrielle was standing at the top of the grand staircase along with about two-dozen other students. All their wands were drawn, all their faces showed determination and heart. It was that eerie calm before the storm that happened so often. There was no noise of chaos or screaming. There were just the hushed whispers of people confessing their love for each other, saying good-bye to each other, joking with each other, or simply people trying to keep their mind off this war as much as possible. Luna came up and stood next to her fellow housemate.

"Eerie, isn't it?"

"Very."

"Did you have a chance to talk to Neville before all this?"

"Yes."

Luna reached over and grabbed Aubrielle's hand unexpectantly. The startling gesture of love hit Aubrielle's core and she began to cry softly. She turned around and laid her head on Luna's shoulder. The blonde smiled and patted her friend on the back.

"You will both make it through this Aubrielle. I can feel it."

"You don't know that Luna! No body knows that!"

"You have to believe in yourself. You are one of the most talented witches to walk these halls. You have the talent and ability to defend yourself."

"I guess."

"Pick your head up."

Aubrielle stood up straight and hurriedly whipped away her tears that were streaking her cheeks.

"Keep it there. Keep your head high. You can do this. You know you can do this."

Just than there was a loud cracking noise. Luna and Aubrielle rushed foreword to look outside the castle walls. The giant protective force field that had been put in place by the Order was being attacked. There were thousands off curses being fired at the large dome that engulfed the castle. Aubrielle's eyes widened as she saw the amount of man power that Voldemort had on his side. It was unbelievable how many followers he had recruited. This was surely going to be the longest day of her entire life. There was another loud boom as a hole at the top of shield opened and widened with every curse that pelted it. All she could do was watch as the protective shield broke and crumbled before her eyes. She looked over at Luna who had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Well, I guess this means war."

"This means war."

And with that, Aubrielle sprinted to the bridge.

o.O.o

Neville watched in horror as thousands of death eaters and snatchers came sprinting towards him and the bridge. Secretly, that was exactly what he wanted though since he wanted to take down as many bastards as he could when he blew up the bridge. It was still terrifying though. They were getting closer with every step and screaming at him like a pack of wild animals. He was waiting though, with wand in hand, at the end of the bridge. Just as he thought they were about to fire some spells or hexes at him, they deteriorated into thin air. Just like that, they were gone. Neville grinned wickedly at them all, suddenly feeling a rush of power. The force field.

"YEAH? YOU AND WHO'S ARMY!"

He laughed at all of them as they stopped short and stood there, frustrated. He could see them, with the blood thirst in their eyes, pacing impatiently. They were waiting for something. Neville wasn't sure what it was, but they were waiting. He jumped when he heard a loud boom echo throughout the sky. It sounded like a thundercloud was cracking directly above the castle. He looked up to see a giant gash form at the peak of the protective shield and work its way down the sides. This was it. All protections were leaving and it was just him from now on. He looked back at the death eaters to see them smiling. This is what they had been waiting for. They had been waiting for Voldemort to make the first move. Neville gripped his wand tightly as the shield fell. This was it. As soon as the snatchers saw a gap in the charm, they came sprinting towards Neville. He took off towards the castle, trying to wait until the very last second to set the wheels in motion. He could hear their footsteps behind him and could see the curses just barely missing his head and body. Finally, after reaching the half way point, he heard Seamus scream from up ahead.

"NOW NEVILLE!"

"INCENDIO!"

Neville shot his wand at the floorboards and glanced over to see the spark whiz to the first clump of blasting powder. Then, just as he and Seamus had planned, the first explosion was set off. Neville kept sprinting towards the castle as the chain went off one after the other. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He had to outrun the explosions though, which he hadn't really thought through. He lifted his head to see Aubrielle standing next to Seamus, Ginny, and Lavender at the other end. His adrenaline kicked in as he saw the girl that he was madly in love with, waiting for him, with pure fear in her eyes. The chain was catching up to him however.

"JUMP NEVILLE!" 

Doing as he was told, the Gryffindor leaped, throwing his wand foreword towards his friend. He landed hard on the stone floor, just beyond the bridge's exit, and looked back to see hundreds of death eater and catchers go down with the old bridge. He looked back to his friends and smiled as Seamus offered his hand to help him up.

"We did it."

"Damn right we did!"

Neville stood up and grabbed his wand from his girlfriend, who was smiling.

"And now, the fun begins."

**REVIEW! :)**


	27. Day of the Battle: Part 2

(Day of the Battle: Part 2)

Emolly was sprinting up the moving staircases when she heard the first crack in the defensive ward that had been put in place. She jumped a little when she heard it and immediately picked up the pace. She needed to be locked away in that room before anyone could see her. If they saw her run in there, well, she would be screwed for lack of a better word. She immediately located the dark and narrow hallway and looked behind her to see if anyone was watching her. There wasn't a soul in sight, perfect. She ran down the hall and reached that old wooden door and pulled at the iron latch. It wouldn't budge.

"Shit, it's locked. Didn't think about that."

She nervously pulled out her wand. She hadn't done magic in a month at least and she had no idea how her body would respond to it. She pointed the tip of her wand at the lock and prayed that the magic was simple enough for her to perform.

"Alohamora."

She grinned when she heard the lock click open with ease.

"YES!"

She pushed the door open and slid into the room, ecstatic that her body didn't react to the use of magic. That was a small accomplishment and maybe if she could do little charms like that…

No. It was just too big of a risk. Dean was right. She wasn't sure what she was capable of and she needed to stay in the room. Period. She shut the door and locked it behind her before sliding the heavy desks and chairs in front of the room's only way in…or out. Well, not including the single window on the far end but she was four or five stories up. She set to work with the desks first and started making a mass barricade. It got to the point, however, where they needed to be stacked on each other and she simply could not lift the old iron and wood tables. She grabbed her wand once more.

"Magic, take two. Levicorpus."

She concentrated on the now airborne desk and set it on the pile. Again, the blonde couldn't help but smile as her body greedily accepted the magic without any pain. She did it several more times to the desk and then put her wand away when it came to the chairs. They were light enough for her to carry and she had created a stairs of sorts with the desks so she could easily add them to the pile. She was making quick work with the chairs but stopped short when she heard a series of explosions happen somewhere below. She rushed to the window to see smoke and dust kick up from a spot towards the east. It looked like the bridge had been blown up! She scrunched her forehead together in confusion. Was it a result of a fight? Was it done purposely? She thought hard. It had to have been done purposely. It was smart, she had to admit, because then less of Voldemort's followers could reach the castle. Only problem with something like that was the fact that less people could escape if that became the case. Soon she could make out the noises of screams, hexes, incantations, and the sounds of war. Things were being smashed, lives were being ended, and the castle was being ambushed. She was almost finished with all the chairs when she turned and looked at the lone one at the other end of the room. She smiled as the memories came flooding back to her. That chair was special to her and Dean. It was where they first had sex. It was where she had told him that she didn't want a fake relationship with him, but a real one. It was where she told him how she really felt. She looked at the chair and then back at the massive pile that she had created in front of the door. That chair was going to stay untouched, right where it was. She didn't really need another thing in front of the door anyway.

It was nearly pitch black in the small room. The only light coming in was from the hexes and explosions that were happening far below her. She could just barely see a sliver of the courtyard from where she was and the sights were terrifying to her. She could see students and adults alike fighting black-cloaked figures. Some of Voldemort's death eaters had on their eerie masks, which made everything more frightening in her eyes. She could see giants swinging their mighty clubs at her fellow housemates and schoolmates. She stepped back from the window as she saw a young Hufflepuff go flying in the air at the end of a Killing Curse. This was all too real. Her friends were dying. Students were dying. Gods she wanted to help! She wanted nothing more than to fight along side the rest of Army and help Harry and everyone else. She didn't want to be cooped up in this little room doing nothing! She kicked at the floor. This was about to be the most brutal test of her will power ever.

o.O.o

Nielah was holding her own against an older death eater out in the courtyard. He was scary looking, with a deep scar going across his face, but the fifth year was not intimidated. She kept firing curse after curse towards him and all he could do was block them. She was giving him absolutely no room to fire one back at her. She was advancing on him as well, making him walk backward and side step all the rubble that was falling and crumbling off the school. Finally, just as she was hoping, he tripped over a piece of brick and fell on his back. She pointed her wand at him and used all her power behind her next move.

"DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY! STUPEFY!"

The death eater went flying back even further as he was immediately knocked unconscious by the fifth year's mind blowing spell. He would be knocked out for at least a day or two.

"NIELAH!"

The familiar yell had Nielah spinning around. Her mother was about thirty feet behind her and quickly closing the gap.

"MOM!"

The two ran into each other for a split second before remembering that they were in the middle of a war.

"Where's your broom? Aubs told you me you fight on one."

"I got shot down. I'm fine though, obviously, and ready to fight on the ground. I just saw you knock that death eater out! My little girl, kicking some ass! What a sight!"

"MOM! NIE! BEHIND YOU!"

Aubrielle ran in right as a masked death eater aimed his wand at her little sister and mother. Aubrielle quickly leapt in front of them and fired off a quick hex.

"Levicorpus!"

The man shot straight into the air and fell hard on the stone ground. His silver mask went flying off his face and Mrs. Song's face immediately changed. She pushed her daughters behind her and held out her wand. The man stood up and faced them all.

"Well, look at this, my own daughters and ex-wife fighting against me."

"DAD?" 

Nielah's jaw dropped as soon as she heard the words 'my own daughters.' She couldn't believe it. Here was her father, now a death eater, ready to kill his own flesh and blood. What an arse!

"Hello little Nielah. And good job Aubrielle. That curse really had a kick to it."

"I'll show you again if you want!"

She shot past her mother's arms and aimed at her father once more.

"Stupefy!"

He grunted as he flew off the ground and hit a broken pillar behind him. He fell to the floor with a thud. Aubrielle looked at him with disgust. She didn't give a damn if she hurt him. He had left her! He had left her and her mother and Nielah all because of fucking blood status! He was not her father! Not in her mind! He had hurt them, all of them, and never thought twice about it! That was no man in her eyes!

"GET UP! FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!"

He slowly rose to his feet again and smirked at his eldest daughter.

"Such fire, such anger! You would be a wonderful death eater Aubrielle…Incarcerous!"

Before she could even react to what had happened, the seventh year was bound by tight ropes. She dropped to the floor and Nielah was instantly at her side, struggling to break her free. Their mother stepped in front of the both of them, her primal instincts kicking in. No one hurt her babies!

"This is between you and me, Tom, and you know that! Leave our children out of this!"

"Well if they are old enough to be fighting in this damn war then they are surely old enough to be fighting me!"

"NO TOM! Expelliarmus!"

But he blocked it, and he blocked it quickly enough to send the same spell back to her.

"Expelliarmus wifey!" 

Her wand went flying behind her and for that split second in time; Aubrielle knew exactly what was happening. Her mother was losing.

"You cursed my life, my bloodline, my heritage! And you raised MY daughters to be blood traitors! You don't deserve to be on this earth you bitch!"

"NO!"

But Aubrielle's screaming was falling on deaf ears and she knew it. Her father mouthed the two most evil words to ever be created and the green light hit her mother square in the chest.

"AVEDA KADEVRA!"

"MOM!"

Her mother was hit hard by the Killing Curse before either of the Song daughters could react. Before they could even blink, their mother was dead and on the ground. Aubrielle tore through the remaining ropes that held her hostage and snatched up her wand.

"YOU BASTARD! CRUCIO!"

She hit her father with the same Unforgivable that had brought her to near death and held him there. She wanted him to suffer. She wanted him to know how much pain and sorrow he was putting her through. She wanted him to feel all her wrath and fury.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER! HOW COULD YOU? FUCK BLOOD LINES, YOU FUCKING LOVED HER AT ONE POINT IN YOUR LIFE! YOU COLD BLOODED BASTARD!"

"AUBREILLE! STOP IT! STOP IT!" 

The Ravenclaw had expected to hear it from her little sister but it was a deep voice that was ordering her to stop.

"MS. SONG!"

"HE KILLED MY MOTHER PROFESSOR FLITWICK!"

"I know dear I know! Don't tarnish your morals for him. You're about to kill him!"

"He doesn't deserve to live!"

"BABE STOP!"

This time it was Neville screaming at her. Trouble was, she wasn't sure if it was all in her head or if he was really there.

"AUBRIELLE, let go! LET GO!"

He was there; she knew it. "How…How did you find me?" 

"I heard you scream! I came running…Please Aubrielle! LET GO!"

The tears were streaming down her face as she finally let the curse slip through her fingers. Her father was on the ground, crumpled and bruised, and twitching. She could see the pain coursing through his body. She had done that. She had caused him pain; she had tortured him. Her own father. Her father that had murdered her mother. She was fully sobbing now and felt her boyfriend's arms around her. He walked her over to a fallen column and sat her down behind it so they were hidden and out of the firing zone.

"She's dead Neville. She's dead. My mom is dead."

"I know Aubs. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have gotten there sooner."

"We didn't know. Nielah was untying me…NIELAH!"

The witch sat straight up and searched for her younger sister. How could she have left her out there like that?

"NIELAH!"

She went running back to where he sister and her mother's dead body was. Nielah was trying to pick up her mother just as her father was trying to get back to his feet. After everything he had gone through, even after being tortured to near death, he was still trying to fight them. Kill them.

"Aveda Ke-"

"AVEDA KEDEVRA!"

The green light whizzed past Aubrielle's head and hit her father. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell back, lifeless. Aubrielle turned to look and see who had fired off the Killing Curse. Professor Flitwick was standing in front of Nielah with his wand drawn and his face determined.

"P-professor?"

"He was aiming his curse at Nielah. I did what I had to do. Now, take your mother's body and put her in the Great Hall. That's the respectful thing to do. Hurry now! I'll cover you!"

Aubrielle looked back at Neville who came rushing over. He gingerly lifted Mrs. Song and carried her bridal style into the Great Hall while Nielah, Aubrielle, and Professor Flitwick surrounded him. They successfully got into the Great Hall and Madame Pomfrey immediately came rushing towards them.

"Alive or dead?"

Aubrielle stepped foreword, "Dead ma'am."

"I am so sorry. Put her over here Mr. Longbottom. Right on this stretcher. Right here. Gently now."

Neville slowly lowered Aubrielle and Nielah's mom onto the stretcher. He straightened her out before crossing her hands over her chest. Aubrielle and Nielah stood above their mum in hysterics. They didn't deserve this. Hell, no kid deserved to see their mother get murdered right in front of them. Now they were all alone. It would just be Nielah and Aubrielle from now on. Their mother was dead, their father was dead, and they had nowhere to turn. It was just the two Song sisters. Nielah fell to her knees at the foot of the stretcher and hid her head in her hands. She was only 16 after all. Neville squatted down next to the fifth year and held her tightly in his arms. Aubrielle watched on as her boyfriend comforted her little sister. Not only did Neville love her, but he loved Nielah as well. Not in a romantic sense, but in a brotherly sense. That honestly meant so much to the witch. He was perfect for her, in every way, shape, and form. Aubrielle scanned the rest of the stretchers to see if she knew anyone else that had already had their life claimed due to this terrible war. Her hand quickly covered her mouth as she saw the familiar faces. There was Susan Bones, white as ghost, with her wand laid by her side. A couple stretchers down was Romilda Vane, such a young girl, with her eyes closed and her body completely still. Colin Creevey was also there, right next to David, the second year Hufflepuff that had been Aubrielle's Expelliarmus partner at the beginning of the school year. The tears continued to flow as she saw classmate after classmate lined up against the wall and laid out on stretchers. Some were fellow Ravenclaws that she only knew by name, or students that she had had in a class years ago. Some, like Susan, were fellow Army members. Those were the ones that hit her the hardest. These were kids that had gone through the same lessons as her, practiced along side her, talked about their futures with her….

She heard a high-pitched wail as another stretcher was brought in. There was another corpse, another victim, being carried by two red headed men that Aubrielle barely recognized as Charlie and Bill Weasley. As the stretcher got nearer she was able to see who was laying on it. One of the Weasley twins, Fred, was dead. Dead as dead could be. Mrs. Weasley was following close behind with Arthur, in absolute stitches.

"MY FREDDIE! MY BOY!"

The stretcher was placed on the floor along side the rest of the victims and George immediately fell to the cold floor. He flung his body over his twin brother's and sobbed and wailed. Aubrielle never really knew the twins too well, but the sight was enough for her to completely break down. Neville looked up to see who she was looking at. As soon as his face fell on the Weasley family, he knew. He lightly patted Nielah on the shoulder before standing up. He slowly made his way over to the family in mourning and squeezed Mrs. Weasley tight. She gladly accepted the gesture and let the Gryffindor encompass her.

"I am so sorry Molly."

"He's just a boy."

"I know, I know. I am so sorry. He'll be greatly missed. We all loved him."

"I know you did Neville. I know." She pulled away from him. "George needs a friend right now."

"Of course."

Neville walked over to George and tapped him on the arm. George lifted his head up to see who it was and immediately flung himself at the wizard. Neville hugged him tightly, letting the twin cry into his shoulder.

"I am so sorry George."

"I am too."

"Hang in there. That's what he would want you to do."

"I know," George pulled away, his words just barely audible through his sobs "anyone else gone that we know?"

Even after his own brother died, he still wanted to know about everyone else. That was just the kind of man George was. So caring.

"Aubrielle's mum died."

"Jesus."

"Yeah," Neville turned to see Aubrielle and Nielah sitting on the floor with their arms wrapped around each other. "Susan Bones too."

But before he could say anything more, the evil bastard himself was suddenly talking again. Voldemort was back in everyone's heads, telling them what to do. Neville squeezed his eyes shut as the calm and eerie voice engulfed everyone.

"_You have fought valiantly but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this I shall kill every last man, woman, and child who tries to conceal you from me."_

As soon as the speech was over, there was an unsettling calm that swept through the castle. The death eaters were gone, as well as the snatchers, and the ones who survived came flooding into the Great Hall. Some were looking for loved ones or friends. Some just needed a place to stay for the time being. More stretchers were being carried in as more dead were retrieved from the battlefield. Tonks and Lupin were carried in side by side and placed down on the ground next to each other, just barely holding hands. Neville looked at their stone faces. They looked peaceful in a way. They were done with this world, on to the next one, but they were with each other. They would always have each other in the end. He went back to Aubrielle and Nielah and sat down next to them. Aubrielle was done crying, her face absolutely deadpan, but Nielah was still shaking and wailing. The couple looked up to see the Golden Trio come walking into the Hall. Well, at least they weren't dead. Those were the three kids that kept the hope alive, and they weren't dead. Aubrielle watched in horror as Ron ran to his distraught family and saw Fred for the first time. The wizard crumpled to the ground, as if the weight of the entire world was pushing down on him, and broke down.

Aubrielle turned to her boyfriend.

"Do you think it's over?"

Neville slung his arm around her shoulders, letting her fall into him.

"No. I think it's just begun."

**REVIEW! :)**


	28. Day of the Battle: Part 3

**Just a reminder: I do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter. I only own my original characters and the original aspects of the story line.**

(Day of the Battle: Part 3)

Emolly was curled into a ball on the floor under the lone window in the old astronomy tower. She was holding her hands over her ears, begging Voldemort to stop talking. She wanted him to stop controlling her mind! 

"STOP! STOP YOU EVIL BASTARD! STOP!"

Finally his little speech was over and the witch could breathe again. She looked out the window again. It was now dawn and the sun was peaking over the horizon, giving the school's grounds a new light. The battle had gone all through the night and into the early morning. Emolly looked down towards the courtyard. There were lifeless bodies everywhere. Most of them looked like death eaters, wearing all black clothing and masks, and it looked as if anyone who was fighting against the Dark Lord that had been killed was taken away respectfully, like Voldemort had ordered them to do. She peered down. It was an absolute wreck. The school was completely destroyed, to say the least. There were bits and chunks of molding, bricks, and stone everywhere. Most of the pillars were knocked down or completely gone and the courtyard was barely recognizable. Based on the calm that had settled upon the castle, Emolly figured that the fighting was finally over. After listening to people scream, cry, and fight for hours, she prayed it was over. How much more could this place take? How much more could these _people_ take? It was silent now and the blonde couldn't hear anything accept for the morning birds chirping. This had to be the end; it just had to be. But where was Dean? Dean promised her that he would come get her once it was over. Was he…? 

A cold shiver ran through her spine. Was he dead? She shook her head as the tears quickly formed in her eyes. He said he would get her if he were alive. He said he would come! She looked back out the window. Still silent; still bare. Dean had told her that if he didn't come for her, to just get out when the noise stopped. It was quiet all right. She looked back at the gigantic barricade that she had created. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she began to tear down her masterpiece. In a matter of moments she would be able to break free from the room and see the damage for herself. She was just praying that Dean had forgotten about her or something like that. At the same time, if he really did forget about her, well, that hurt. She quickly whipped away the newest batch of tears before continuing. She had no idea what was on the other side of that door.

o.O.o

Dean, Neville, and Seamus met up right outside of the Great Hall to talk about what had happened so far and what to do next. Seamus shoved his hands in his pockets. Everyone knew it by now. Lavender was attacked by Fenrir Greyback. She was close to near death when Hermione blasted him into oblivion and helped the Gryffindor. Neville looked at his friend.

"Any word on Lavender?"

"Yeah. Madame Pomfrey said that she'll live, thanks to Hermione, but she is in a lot of pain right now. The change is happening as we speak."

"Is she going to be a full werewolf?"

"No, not like Greyback at least. Pomfrey said that she'll be like Lupin given that she takes the proper medicine every morning. She'll be 'normal' during the day and whatnot but it's the changes that are going to be bloody awful."

"That's rough mate. I'm sorry."

"I am too. She doesn't deserve this."

Neville swung his arm out and motioned towards the Great Hall. "Do you think anyone in their deserved that they got?"

"Of course not."

Dean patted him on the back. "You gonna stay with her?"

"You bet your ass I am. Werewolf or not, I love that girl. I promised her that if we both made it out alive that we would be together. I'm not about to break that promise because she's got a few scares and has a couple of bad nights every full moon."

Neville looked at his friend, "We're not done with all this yet though. I've got a feeling that we're going to be fighting again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. The Dark Lord isn't done yet. No way."

"Well it's somewhat of a small miracle that we all made it through the first part, at least."

"Bloody lucky is what it is."

Dean looked back into the Great Hall to see the amount of people that weren't as lucky as the three of them. "It's a shame about Fred, Lupin, and Tonks."

"Terrible shame. Did you see that Susan Bones died too?"

"Yeah. I never thought I would see her like that in my life. Same with Romilda Vane. She was a fellow Gryffindor too."

The three wizards were silent for a moment, lost in their thoughts. They never thought that they would see any one of their classmates dead at such a young age. They could have done so much for the wizarding world. They could have grown up to be high officials at the Ministry, Quidditch World Cup winners, future Hogwarts professors, or top notch Aurors. It was just such a shame. Neville turned to Dean.

"Didn't you say that Emolly hid away somewhere?"

"Yeah. I told her that I would come get her once the fighting was over but I'm not going to get her just yet. If what you say is true, and we do end up fighting more, I want her to stay exactly where she is."

Aubrielle came walking over to the trio and wrapped her arms around Neville's waist. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired and her cheeks were white and blotchy from crying. She just wanted her boyfriend at this moment in time. The boys all nodded respectfully to her and Neville took his arm and draped it over her shoulders, kissing her on the forehead. Dean looked at the Ravenclaw with genuine sincerity in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your mum Aubrielle."

"Thank you Dean. That means a lot."

"I'm sorry too Aubrielle. No one deserves that."

"Thanks Seamus. Sorry to hear about Lav. She'll be okay, won't she?"

"Yeah. She's a tough girl; she'll make it through."

Just than Madame Pomfrey came scuttling over to the seventh years. She went right over to Seamus.

"Ms. Brown is finally in her own mind again and calling for you dear."

"Yes ma'am." He turned to his friends, "if I don't see you guys again before the battle starts up, best of luck to you."

"You too mate."

They all exchanged quick handshakes before Seamus went off towards the hospital wing. They stood there for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Pretty soon, however, another person came and distracted them.

"DEAN!" 

The Gryffindor looked up to see Emolly bounding towards him with tears coming down her face.

"EMOLLY!"

She jumped right into his arms and wrapped her lean legs around his waist.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you still in the room?"

"You said to come down when the noise died down." He set her down and thumbed away her tears. "You said you would come get me and when you didn't come I…I thought you were dead. You should have come and gotten me-"

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around her again and brought her into his chest.

"Why didn't you come get me? I was so worried. I was about to have a mental breakdown Dean."

He took his arms away and looked into her amber pools. "I didn't come get you because…well, I don't think this is over yet."

"You think there's gonna be more fighting still?"

"Yeah, I really do. Voldemort's not done yet. I want you to go back to the room Em-"

"NO! Please don't send me back there! I did magic Dean! I had to! The door was looked when I got there so I had to unlock it magically. And when I was stacking the desks! They got too heavy so I had to levitate them! Trust me Dean, I'm fine! I was doing magic and my body was perfectly fine! If Voldemort wants to fight again, than I want to be by your side!" 

Dean looked at her hard. He just didn't want her to get hurt or worse, die. He could see the hope in her eyes though. She wasn't going back in that room. No way in Hell.

"Fine." Emolly started jumping up and down. "BUT, the second that the magic starts hurting you…you run and hide. You got that?"

"But-"

"EMOLLY."

"Fine! Fine. The moment that I feel pain I will hide."

"Thank you."

He brought her back to him and met her lips with his. They embraced passionately and after a while, when it was clear that they weren't stopping any time soon, Neville took Aubrielle by her hand and away from the snogging couple. The Ravenclaw giggled.

"Those two could snog through this entire war and not realize that it even happened in the first place."

Neville cracked up because it was all two true. Those two got lost in each other constantly. He intertwined his fingers with his girlfriend's and took her out towards the courtyard. Most of the bodies had been cleared away but the amount of damage that had been done was insane. The school would never be the same again.

"How is Nielah holding up?"

"She's a little bit better now. She's more accepting of it, I guess. It's going to be hard though. I have no idea how the two of us are going to keep the house."

"What about grandparents or any other relatives?"

"Well my dad's side of the family completely cut us off so that's out of the question. My mom's parents died in the first wizarding war and she was an only child. It's just me and Nie…"

She trailed off, realizing the terrible situation that she was in. She was going to have to the provider for the both of them. Nielah would need to finish up her schooling, that wasn't even a question, so Aubrielle would have to pay for everything. That, and whatever money her mother left behind. She stared down at the ground as she felt the hotness of tears. She didn't want to cry again. She thought she was done for the day. Neville squeezed her hand.

"It'll be okay Aubs. Really. You and Nielah can come live with my grandmother and me. You know how much she adores you."

The Ravenclaw whipped her head up, "Really?"

Neville bent down and kissed on her temple. "Of course."

They continued to walk around; kicking chunks of debris every once in a while. They were picking up big things, like brooms or books, and throwing them aside. Neville bent down to pick up what looked like a jacket but realized that it was something else entirely. He stopped short, much to Aubrielle's concern.

"Neville? What is it?"

"It's…the sorting hat."

He picked up the raggedy brown hat and patted the dust off of it. The sorting hat was a symbol of Hogwarts. It had personally placed him in a house that he didn't think he belonged in. A house that he had to grow into. He turned it over and went to dust off the brim when something caught his eye. He opened up the hat and peered into it. There was no way that his eyes were deceiving him. Was that…? 

"N-Neville."

Aubrielle started tugging on his shirtsleeve. Something had spooked her.

"What?"

"Is that-"

"Bloody Hell."

Neville looked up to see Voldemort walking towards the courtyard with his army of death eaters behind him. What frightened him the most was seeing Hagrid walking with him…and carrying a body. In Neville's mind, that could only mean one thing.

"Neville, who is that Hagrid's carrying? Who is that?"

Ginny came running out of the castle and met up with her best friend.

"Neville?"

"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!"

"NOOOOOO!"

"SILENCE YOU STUPID GIRL!"

Ginny went running out towards Voldemort with her wand drawn but Neville quickly grabbed her and threw her back.

"GINNY! Stop it. Stop! Do you want to go and get yourself killed?"

It wasn't even about Harry at that moment in time to Neville. It was about keeping his friend alive, and she was acting out of rage at the moment, not smarts. She squirmed in his arms but stopped when her father came over and grabbed her. Voldemort was obviously basking in his victory, because he kept going.

"Yes! Harry Potter is dead! HA! From this day fourth, you put your faith… in me! HARRY POTTER IS DEAD! And now is the time to declare yourself! Come foreword and join us…or die!"

Neville turned back to Aubrielle. She looked absolutely petrified. He looked behind him to see that everyone that was inside the castle was now outside and in the courtyard. Everyone had a look of devastation painted on their faces. Without Harry, well, they might as well surrender. Neville looked back inside the hat. The thing that had caught his eye before was still there. This wasn't over yet. Not on his watch. He slowly walked foreword towards the Dark Lord, to everyone's surprise. He heard the collective gasp as they saw him walk away from the school and towards the death eaters. He heard Aubrielle whisper his name, but he knew what he was doing. She just had to trust him.

"Well I must say, I had hoped for better. And who might you be, young man?"

"Neville Longbottom."

Bellatrix's cackling laugh rang throughout the courtyard. Obviously she found it enjoyable that she had tortured his parents and now would have him as her slave.

Voldemort grinned wickedly at her before turning back to the seventh year.

"I'm sure we can-"

"I'd like to say something first!" There was an eerie pause and he took it as his cue to continue. "It doesn't matter that Harry's gone. People die everyday! Friends, family… Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us! So is Fred, Remus, and Tonks…all of them. They didn't die in vain! BUT YOU WILL! Because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us! For all of us!"

Voldemort seemed to have ignored the fact that Neville was threatening his life, but he instead saw the outspoken Gryffindor as a ballsy and brave man. Perfect for his ranks.

"Well Neville, you show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable death eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

Neville reached his hand inside of the sorting hat and gripped on to what was within. He wasn't done yet.

"I'LL JOIN YOU WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!" He quickly pulled out the sword of Gryffindor. "DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!"

Two things happened at that spit second in time. One: Neville got blasted back onto his arse, and two: Harry fell out of Hagrid's arms, fired a spell at Voldemort, and then ran back into the castle. Neville's head was reeling as everything happened so quickly. Harry was alive! That was certainly surprising, to say the least. Almost immediately the fighting broke out again and the courtyard was filled with the sounds of war once again. Neville's ears were ringing terribly when Aubrielle came over to his aid.

"Neville! Neville get up! Please babe! Please! NEVILLE!"

"My ears…ringing…"

"GET UP!"

He could see the panic in her eyes and see her mouthing the words. Get up, right. He slowly stood to his feet and felt his girlfriend tugging at him. She was desperately trying to get him back into the castle and away from the action. He was too confused and muddled to fight at the moment. Aubrielle pretty much dragged the wizard inside and flung him behind a staircase. Now she just looked furious.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT BACK THERE? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

"But I wasn't!" 

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! Neville!" She got real close to his face and clenched his shirt with her hands. "You and Nielah. You're the only ones I have left. I can't lose you."

He dropped the sword and grabbed her face before bringing it to his. They smashed lips together and that was all that existed at that point in time. It was just them. Just the two of them and nothing else. He slowly pulled away from her but still kept her body flush to his.

"I will not leave you. You understand me? And you're not done fighting yet either. Stay strong Aubrielle. Do this for your mother."

As soon as he said the last sentence, something in Aubrielle's face changed. She wasn't panicky anymore and she wasn't scared. She was now determined and calm. She nodded her head and kissed him one more time before running off and joining the fight. The wizard bent down and picked the sword up. Why the Hell would the hat present this to him? What was he suppose to do with it? Wasn't his wand and magic good enough? He held the sword to his face and observed the markings. Yep, this was definitely the sword of Gryffindor. He came out from behind the staircase to see Ron and Hermione running towards him.

"NEVILLE! Use the sword!"

"For what?" 

"THE SNAKE! KILL THE SNAKE!" 

"Voldemort's snake?"

"Yes! IT NEEDS TO DIE! KILL THE SNAKE!"

"Bloody Hell."

The snake! Really? Not only was the thing huge and terrifying, but it was always by the Dark Lord's side. In order for Neville to get close to the snake, he had to get close to Voldemort. Either that, or he would have to lure it away from its master. Neville set out towards the center of the castle.

Kill the snake.

Kill the snake.

"Kill the snake."


	29. Day of the Battle: Part 4

(Day of the Battle: Part 4)

Aubrielle went bounding back into the courtyard as soon as her lips left Neville's. She didn't want to look back; she didn't want to think about it. She knew she still had a lot of fighting ahead of her. Just her. And now, her one mission was keeping Nielah safe at any costs. Period. She scanned the battlefield, searching for the long brown curls. She had to be here. Aubrielle turned to her left; one death eater, a young male, was raising his wand towards her. Thing is, she was pissed off as Hell because of her mother and she was not holding back at all. Her wand was already up and raised before the death eater could blink.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

In a matter of seconds, he was frozen on the ground. Another one came at her front about 20 feet ahead. Again, he had no idea who he was up against.

"STUPEFY!"

Boom. He flew back, completely knocked out, and crumpled to the ground with a loud thud. Aubrielle kept firing spell after spell as more death eaters came towards the Ravenclaw. She was easily beating most of them, since most the death eaters were not intelligent or properly trained, and her intensity level was rising by the minute. She was a one woman army.

"LEVICORPUS!"

"STUPEFY!"

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

"CONFUNDUS!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

She was creating a path of petrified and blacked out bodies in her wake as she continued on her rage-induced mission. She didn't care who came at her. Hell, it could be fucking Voldemort himself and she would fight him. Her family had been ripped out from underneath her by her own fucking father. No, she wasn't angry; she was livid. The tears were gone, the pain was numbing, and everything had been replaced by pure rage. The hexes were flowing out of her wand like water as she continued to search for her little sister. She just needed to find Nielah. Nielah. She walked out towards the stone bridge that was slowly being destroyed as the war continued on. She could see her! The younger Song sister was fighting an older woman who looked like she had some serious talent. Aubrielle went hurdling towards her but was stopped short when a familiar face cut her off, stepping right in between her and her sister. Wrong move.

"Well well. Aubrielle Song. We meet again."

Her hazel eyes narrowed as her new target came closer to her. "Theo Nott. How was Azkaban?"

"Wonderful actually. It made me tough; made me stronger. It also gave me plenty of time to figure out how to get revenge on you."

"On me? You put yourself there the second the Unforgivable came out of your mouth. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"Yeah? Well I still like revenge…"

"Stupefy!"

The Slytherin just barely missed her curse. He looked at her with disgust.

"Petrificus To-"

But she was better than that. She had already anticipated his spell and countered it perfectly.

"Expelliarmus!"

Theo's wand went flying out of his hand and off the bridge to the great unknown below. She had no idea how far down the drop was, but that thing was lost forever. Theo turned back to Aubrielle, stunned, but then twisted his mouth into an evil smirk. Her wand was pointed right at his head.

"Nice one Song. Looks like I underestimated you. How did you get that good anyway? Neville giving you lessons in return for you fucking him?"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH."

"I'm just saying. So you got me where you want me. Do it. Kill me Song. After all, I did torture you. I almost killed you."

Her wand was lightly shaking as he egged her on. She could never kill him; she could never kill anybody really. He knew that too. He started laughing at her.

"I knew it. You're still too weak. You can't do anything-"

"Stupefy!"

He ate his words as he was shot backwards into the air. He hit a brick awkwardly and Aubrielle could hear his vertebrae snap. She didn't know if he was paralyzed or dead, but the brick had done it, not her. She ran to her sister, who had just knocked out the old witch.

"Aubs!" 

"Nielah behind you!"

It was just the two of them, the two Song girls, on the bridge as more death eaters came by them. They stood in the middle of the bridge with their backs together.

"You ready Nie?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Always am."

"Lets do this."

They started firing off hexes and curses as the death eaters came in pairs. They took it all in stride and didn't falter at all. It was really them against the world.

o.O.o

Even though she said she was fine performing magic, Dean was still scared shitless for Emolly. Sure, she had been able to perform Alohamora and Levicorpus, but those were simple spells. What would happen if she tried something harder like Stupefy or Petrificus Totalus? What if she had to conjure up a patronus? She didn't know how those more powerful spells would affect her. So, Dean decided to stay with her and fight along side his girlfriend. He didn't care how distracted he would be; he wanted to be there just to make sure that she was okay. Even though she had promised him that she would run the second she felt pain, Dean also knew that she would purposely ignore it and continue to fight through it. The blonde turned back to him with a new excitement in her eyes.

"Where should we go?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where should we fight? Where do they need help?"

"Oh…err… I was stationed at the Astronomy Tower before-"

"LETS GO!"

She shot up the stairs like a bolt of lightning and she kind of looked like one too with her long blonde hair. She was way too excited to see action. Dean followed her, struggling to keep up.

"Em! Slow down! You don't know how many death eaters are going to-"

But she was already at the tower, and was stopped at the doorway, dead in her tracks. Her eyes were narrowed and zoned in on someone that Dean couldn't see yet. He finally caught up to her and sucked in his breath when he saw the back of the guy's head that Emolly was looking at. He quickly pulled Emolly behind a near column before the wizard could see either of them.

"You don't need to go in there. We can turn and run away from here right now. I know you want to fight, but we can just as easily fight in the courtyard or at the bridge or-."

"No. If I run, I'm just running away from my problems. Everything has led up to this. This was meant to happen."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I'm not leaving your side."

"I don't want you to."

"Okay. I love you Emolly."

"I love you too."

They quickly kissed before heading back to the tower's threshold. Emolly looked to see that Daphne Greengrass was already fighting the man in question. Emolly caught her friend's eye to make it known to her that this was your fight.

"This one's mine Daphne. Stand down."

The two stopped dueling and the man turned to Emolly. As soon as he saw the witch he couldn't help but grin. This was just too perfect for him.

"Emolly. Looking good, as always."

"Gee, thanks. No thanks to you though…Blaise."

The Slytherin eyed her up and down, taking in her school girl skirt and dazzling amber eyes. It was obvious that he was going to taunt her and diminish her, even during a damn war. Emolly raised her wand and pointed it towards him, which made him chuckle.

"What? Are you going to hex me? You would never do that and you know it."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

Dean and Daphne watched on as Blaise smugly crossed his arms over his chest. Dean wanted to kill him. It was disgusting to hear how he was talking to her, this girl that he had raped and brutally beat, without any remorse. The Gryffindor could feel the blood boiling under his skin as Blaise flashed an evil smile towards Emolly. Dean wanted to knock the dirty bastard out. Daphne leaned in to Dean with her wand still pointed at her former friend.

"Should we step in?"

"No. This is Emolly's battle to fight, not ours. We'll only step in if it's necessary."

"Okay. Just say the word."

Blaise put his arms out wide, opening himself up to Emolly and egging her to take a shot at him. "C'mon. If you're gonna hit me, hit me. But I still think you're too fucking weak to do anyth-"

"STUPEFY!"

The Italian wizard went flying back, much to his surprise, and landed hard on his ass. Emolly didn't smile or show any sign of pleasure. Instead, she stayed cool and calm. She knew that this was far from over. He quickly got up, now pissed as Hell, and raised his wand at her.

"YOU BITCH."

"Levicorpus!"

She quickly hit him with another hex, not letting him get one off at her. He shot straight up in the air and then landed on his stomach. She heard him suck in air and it was apparent that he had the wind knocked out of him because he was gasping and sputtering. He coughed hard, finally getting the oxygen flowing through his body again. Emolly kept pounding him with spells.

"Petrificus Totalus! Rennervate!"

She quickly froze him and then revived him, giving him the worst headache and causing him to feel dizzy and light headed. She internally cursed herself when she felt the slightest bit of pain sting in her side. It was barely noticeable, but it was still there. Her attention was quickly turned back to the wizard she was fighting when he pointed his wand at her from the ground.

"St-stupefy."

He barely muttered the hex, but it was still enough to send her back and knock her off her feet. She hit a fallen portrait at a weird angle and the pain in her side severely heightened. She moaned loudly, sending Dean into a panic. He rushed over to her side and fell to the ground next to her.

"Babe, babe are you okay?"

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Blaise was back on his feet and walking towards Emolly, who was still on the ground. Dean put his body in between the two of them. "She's with you now? She's fucking Dean Thomas now? Oh this is fucking rich Emolly! Even for you!" He laughed hysterically to taunt her, but Emolly was not in the joking mood. She lightly pushed her boyfriend aside and got back to her feet. Screw the pain; she was not about to quit. She looked at Blaise with a new found determination. He could insult her all he wanted, but the second that he brought her boyfriend into it was the second he crossed the line.

"This one is for raping me! Stupefy!"

The Slytherin hit the back wall, hard.

"This one is for throwing me down the stairs! Confundus!"

He didn't even have time to get up before the ringing in his ears started.

"This one is for beating me day after day! Levicorpus!"

She heard his leg crack as he hit the ceiling and then crumpled to the floor. The pain in her side spiked as she hit him with curse after curse. She just took it as a constant reminder as to why she was hurting him in the first place. This was all his bloody fault.

"This is for abusing me to near death! This is for changing me! This is for killing my body and my magic! THIS IS FOR YOU TO KNOW THE HELL THAT YOU HAVE PUT ME THROUGH!"

There was suddenly a large explosion as one of the walls in the tower was completely blown open by a small group of death eaters. Bricks and molding went flying everywhere and Emolly quickly hid her head in her arms to shield herself from the flying debris. There were about 5 or so death eaters that came flying in after things had settled down. Soon, Daphne and Dean were both fighting the numbers and Emolly was solely on her own. The small explosion had served as a perfect distraction, however, and Blaise was back on his feet and within a foot of the blonde. He was hobbling, due to his leg, but he was still standing.

"Incarcerous!

She screamed as the ropes shot out of his wand and bound her hands behind her back. She was now on the ground, helpless, and in a lot of pain. She was done for. He nonchalantly limped over to her and hovered over her like he owned her. She started praying to Merlin in her head because she knew that this wasn't going to be over quickly and she knew it was about to be even more painful than last time he had hurt her.

"Scum."

He kicked her hard in her side, knowing exactly where to aim. She screamed out as the pain vibrated through the core of her body. It was just too much to handle and she could feel her body reacting to the immense agony. She turned her head to the side and vomited hard. She moaned as she saw globs of blood in her puke. Not good, not good, not good. Blaise grimaced.

"Pathetic."

He brought his good leg over her left calf and stomped down hard, shattering the bones in her shin. She yelled out as her body took the worse beating ever. The tears were uncontrollably flowing out of her eyes and she could hear Dean screaming for her in the background. He was trying to get to her but there were too many death eaters. If he didn't take drastic measures soon, Emolly would be dead. Blaise looked back at the Gryffindor and then back at his ex-girlfriend.

"Oh I'll make sure he sees you when the life slowly fades from your eyes."

He reached down and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She winced as he picked her up by her blonde locks and threw her back to the ground. Her head hit a fallen brick and she could now feel her thick and warm blood trickling down the side of her head. Her ears started ringing loudly as the pain over came her entire being. Her eyes got heavy as her body wanted to black out but she fought as hard as she could to stay conscious. The second she closed her eyes was the second that she gave up and she was going to fight until the very nitty gritty end. She would not make this easy for Blaise. No way in Hell. She looked over to the see the panic in Dean's face heighten even more. He was fighting three death eaters now, and holding his own quite well, but something had changed in him. It was some primal instinct that had worked its was to the surface. The witch watched through blurred vision as he began to lose it. He pointed his wand at the first death eater and chanted the Killing Curse. Green sparks shot out of his wand and hit his target. That's when Emolly knew that things seemed worse than they really were. She couldn't hear anything except for the obnoxiously loud ringing in her ears, but she could tell by the way that Dean started plucking off the dark clothed bastards that she was almost gone. Almost dead. She looked at the ground to see a small pool of blood had formed by her cheek. The dark crimson liquid was staining her skin and hair as it continued to trickle out of her head's open wound. She used the last bit of remaining energy that she had left to lift her head and sneak a glance at her broken leg. She felt like vomiting again as she saw it's twisted form. It was blue and dark purple and swelled up like a balloon. She put her head back on the ground and watched as Dean turned to Blaise with his wand drawn and blood thirst in his eyes. Even though she didn't condone murder by any means, she wanted Dean to do it. She wanted this whole thing with her and Blaise done and she wanted him to stop controlling her life. She looked on as Dean said the incantation and the green light hit Blaise in the head. She watched the Slytherin's lifeless body hit the floor. She watch his eyes roll back into his head. She saw him die, right there. It was a sight that she would have never imagined two years ago. Two years ago she genuinely loved him. Two years ago they were an amazing pair. How had things gotten to this? But there he was; white as a ghost and still as a statue. Dean came rushing over to her, bawling, and lifted her into his arms. He darted out of the Astronomy Tower and ran as fast as he could down the stairs towards the medical wing. Emolly was still bound by the ropes.

"Stay with me Em. Stay with me. Damnit Emolly don't you dare die! DAMNIT! YOU STAY AWAKE! You hear me? Breathe Emolly! Keep those eyes open! I'm going to get you help! I'm almost to Madame Pomfrey! Please Emolly please! DON'T DIE!"

He made it down the stairs and was full out sprinting towards the wing. His heart was thumping so hard in his chest that he could hear his pulse in his ears. He looked back down at Emolly to see her lids slowly closing. He placed his thumb on her wrist. She still had a pulse. It seemed decently strong for the state that she was in too. Emolly looked up at her boyfriend and weakly smiled. She wouldn't want to be in anyone else's arms_. "I love you,"_ was the last thing she whispered before her eyes closed and she completely blacked out.

**Review. Please. Pretty Please. **


	30. Day of the Battle: Part 5 The End

_**This is it people! My last update :( THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE REVIEWED AND STUCK WITH THIS STORY ALL THE WAY THROUGH! It really means a lot to me. Oh, and if I get enough requests, I'll write an epilogue!**_

(Day of the Battle: Part 5)

Neville was running around the castle with the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in his hands. He only had one thing on his mind.

Kill the snake.

Kill the snake.

Kill the snake.

o.O.o

"MADAME POMFREY!"

Dean sprinted into the medical wing with an unconscious Emolly in his arms. He was crying hard as the little witch came running to him. She wordlessly waved him over to a cot and he gingerly set her down. He took out his wand and aimed it at the ropes that had bound her.

"Reducto."

The threads snapped and fell off the bed. Madame Pomfrey was already pouring some potion down her throat. She quickly started dressing the Slytherin's head wound. She kept her head down as she began to ask Dean what had happened.

"Where were you guys?"

"The Astronomy Tower."

"Do you know who did this to her? I need it for my records."

"Blaise Zabini ma'am."

She was silent for a moment before continuing. "It would be him. Where is he now?"

"Dead ma'am."

"Very well. Did you see what happened?"

"First he kicked her in her side; the same side that he had injured before. Then he broke her leg. Then he cracked her head open."

"She's very weak."

"Is she going to live?"

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to see how she reacts to the potion."

"How long will that take?"

"A couple minutes."

"Can I stay here?"

"Of course Mr. Thomas."

Dean nodded his head to show his appreciation and sat at the foot of Emolly's cot. She looked absolutely beaten and broken. It was such a hard sight to take in for the wizard. He reached out and grabbed her hand. It was still warm. That was a good sign, right?

o.O.o

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!"

Neville looked over just in time to see Mrs. Weasley blast the Unforgivable at a sniggering Bellatrix. Neville couldn't help but cheer as he saw the evil bitch of a woman fall to the ground, lifeless. The merciless death eater who had ripped apart his family and tortured his parents, was dead. It was such a satisfying sight for the wizard. He quickly turned his mind back to his goal, however.

Kill the snake.

Kill the snake.

Kill the snake.

o.O.o

Aubrielle and Nielah had fought for what seemed like hours. There was no letting up in the heavy flow of death eaters coming towards them and some of them were falling off the bridge because of the amount of power behind the Song girls' spells. Aubrielle heard Nielah gasp when it happened for the first time. It was no mystery to the either of them that as soon as someone fell over the edge of the bridge, they were dead. That fall was just too far and the environment was unforgiving. It wasn't really their fault though. They were on a narrow bridge and the death eaters kept coming towards them. What were they suppose to do? Stop the fighting and tell them to move it to the courtyard so no one would fall off the edge? Yeah, right. That was just ludicrous and stupid. If they had enough balls to come at the two Ravenclaws, then they would have to feel their wrath. After the initial shock wore off, it became apparent to Nielah that this was a do or die situation. She would have to do what was ever possible to survive. If her spells were powerful enough to knock someone off the bridge, well, that was the price of war. She was fighting for her life. Period.

"Levicorpus!"

Another death eater flew over the lip of the bridge and screamed as they realized their sudden fate. Nielah had lost count of how many she had sent over after 20. It wasn't even that anymore. She was getting tired. This had been going on for a very long time and her magic was being over worked. Aubrielle seemed fine though and she wanted to keep up with her sister. She didn't want to seem weak. One coming at her from her left.

"Stupefy!"

She started to panic as she felt her magic weaken by the hex. She talked loud enough so her sister could hear her, but quiet enough so the death eaters didn't pick up on her situation.

"Aubs I can't do this for much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm tired. My magic is getting weaker. I can feel it. I need to get back to the castle."

"Okay. Okay, yeah. Lets start moving towards the castle. We'll rotate so I'm facing the bridge. I'll give you enough cover so you can run. Run like the devil is chasing you. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Ready?"

"Yep."

"On my count. One, two…three!"

They quickly traded places, all the while never loosing concentration. Nielah started walking towards the castle, still firing off spells, while Aubrielle fought the masses at her back. As soon as they were safely off the bridge, Aubrielle created the cover that she had promised. She pointed her wand at a still erect column.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"

The column blew up into a thousand pieces and kicked up a lot of dust and debris. She pointed her wand at the column on the other side.

"BOMBARDA MAXUMA!" 

Again, the column combusted. The large chunks of concrete fell in front of the bridge's opening, not only slowing the death eaters down, but falling and crushing a couple of them as well. The powder and dust from the explosion created a perfect cover for them to dart inside the school. Aubrielle turned around to see Nielah already sprinting into the castle. She quickly followed suit, catching up to her exhausted sister.

"C'mon Nie! Almost there!"

They raced through the large double doors and headed straight for the Great Hall, which served as a sort of safe haven for anyone fighting against Voldemort. Once inside, they were able to stop and take a breath. Aubrielle turned to her heaving kid sister.

"Take a break Nie and gain some energy back. You're not fighting again. Not right now at least. Got it?"

"Okay Aubs."

The fifth year put her head down, defeated. She wanted to be able to keep up with everyone else. She wanted to hold her own. She felt like she was letting the Army down. A stray tear fell. She quickly whipped it away but Aubrielle still saw it.

"Nielah, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, no. I just feel like I've failed."

"What?"

"I feel like I let everyone down. I got tired."

"Nielah Song you look at me right now. Lift your head up and look at me. Good. You just fought your heart out out there. There were easily over forty death eaters attacking us and we plowed through all of them. You have been doing better than an average 16 year old witch. You have been holding your own so don't you dare think otherwise. So you got tired. Big whoop."

"But you're not tired Aubs."

"Remember that I'm two years older than you. I've had more education, more practice. That does matter Nie. Don't be hard on yourself. Please! You are an amazing witch."

Nielah weakly smiled at her sister. "Okay."

"Good girl." Aubrielle placed a kiss on her sister's forehead. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too."

"AUBREILLE!"

The seventh year quickly whipped her head around to see Katie Bell sprinting towards her. The Gryffindor was out of breath and had a terrified look in her eyes. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"Katie? What's wrong?"

"It's Emolly. She's in the hospital wing. She's dying. Dean told me to find you. He said you have some sort of potion that could save her!"

Aubrielle reached up and touched the small glass vile that was tucked under her sweater. Her Doua Sansa. She nodded towards the witch and thanked her for coming and getting her before sprinting off in the direction of the medical wing. She had already lost her mother due to this terrible war; she couldn't lose her best friend too. She just couldn't. If Emolly died…Aubrielle quickly cleared her mind of the thought. Emolly had to pull through or else Aubrielle would go mental. And that wasn't an exaggeration.

o.O.o

Kill the snake.

Kill the bloody snake.

Kill the fucking snake.

o.O.o

Aubrielle came rushing into the medical wing and immediately saw her best friend lying on a cot. Her hair and sweater was stained deep red from the color of her blood and her leg was in a makeshift splint. The Ravenclaw could see that the limb was three times larger than the other one and the color of it was a very dark shade of purple. Dean was hovering over her, shaking her shoulders and yelling at her right when Aubrielle ran in.

"NO! EMOLLY YOU FIGHT! YOU HEAR ME? DON'T GIVE UP! BREATHE!"

Aubrielle ran to the cot and fumbled as she attempted to get the necklace off of her neck. Dean let go of Emolly when he saw the witch coming and looked into Aubrielle's eyes. The look on his face was that of pure panic and it was obvious that things were not good at all. She finally got the vial uncorked and gently opened Emolly's mouth. She tilted back the blonde's head and emptied the entire potion into her mouth. Aubrielle closed Emolly's mouth and massaged her throat, willing the serum to make its way into her system.

"Who did this to her?"

"B-Blaise…"

"C'mon Dean, stay with me here! Why were you shaking her just now?"

"I l-lost her p-pulse."

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit."

"D-do you think the D-Doua Sansa will w-work?"

"I don't know. She needs some sort of pulse, even if it's the faintest one, for it to revive her. It can't bring her back to life if she was already dead."

Aubrielle was talking through the tears now. This wasn't supposed to happen! They were all supposed to survive! They promised each other that they would! She was kidding herself at this point, completely ignoring the fact that her best friend was dying and that she wasn't coming back. She reached for the blonde's wrist and put her fingers to it. It was already paling. She pushed down to try and find her pulse. Nothing.

"No, no, no, NO!"

She reached up towards the Slytherin's throat and put her fingers a little below her jaw. Again, nothing. No pulse.

"NO!"

Madame Pomfrey heard her scream and came rushing over. The witch wordlessly took her wand out and ran a full body scan to see if she could find the faintest pulse. She put her wand away and looked at the two seventh years. Both Aubrielle and Dean were in hysterics, already knowing what was coming next.

"She's gone. I'm so sorry."

The healer took a white sheet and respectfully laid it over Emolly's perfectly still body. Dean burst out into loud sobs and wails as he threw himself over the cot. Aubrielle slowly started walking backwards to make her way towards the exit. Her entire body was numb. First they had taken her mother, and now her best friend. She promised herself that she would never lose herself in this war but this was something that couldn't be undone. Her entire outlook changed. She had the right to become someone different because she would never be the same now and she knew that. She quickly turned on her heel as a switch inside of her was flipped. She wanted to kill. She wanted to see the light leave someone's eyes. She wanted to hurt people. Her golden hazel eyes became dark as her mood changed. She ran into the courtyard, which was still full of wizards and witches fighting each other, and unleashed on them. She wasn't a kid anymore, that was for sure. She pointed her wand at the closest death eater.

"AVEDA KADEVRA!"

The green light shot out of her wand and hit the stranger right in the chest. A wave of adrenaline coursed through the Ravenclaw as she used the Killing Curse over and over again. There was no point in stopping now and she unleashed everything she had on Voldemort's men. She was becoming a bigger threat by the seconds as the death eaters saw her slay their own fighters. Soon she was being surround by dark cloaked figures. Since she was killing them, they wanted to kill her even more. She never stopped though; she never gave up. As the numbers against her grew higher and higher, the sudden realization hit her. This would be a fight to the death.

o.O.o

Harry and Voldemort came spiraling out of nowhere and landed hard in the courtyard. Everyone noticed the two most powerful wizards alive and their presence had a sort of halting effect on the fighting. After all, it really was Harry against Voldemort in the end. One of them had to die, period. No matter how much their 'troops' fought each other. They reached for their wands at the same time and fired at each other. Aubrielle watched as she saw the familiar green glow of the Killing Curse fly out of the Dark Lord's wand and wiz towards the Chosen One. Harry was quick though and was already firing Expelliarmus at him. Aubrielle could see the intensity in both of the wizard's eyes as they held on to their wands like a lifeline. Suddenly their spells collided, creating a display of sparks and color. Aubrielle had never seen anything like it in her life. It was like neither could advance on the other. Everyone was intently watching the duel, but something caught the Ravenclaw's eye. She looked to her left to see Voldemort's giant snake slithering at her. She turned and shot the Killing Curse at it, but it was no use. The thing simply crawled through it, as if immune by it. As soon as she fired, however, she regained the attention of the numerous death eaters around her. One of them, she wasn't sure which, fired a spell at her and she was soon tied up in ropes and knocked off her feet. Her wand went flying out of her hand and Aubrielle realized right then and there that she was going to die. These death eaters, who had seen her kill many of there own, were going to brutally kill her. They were going to make it long and painful. She looked to see that the snake was getting closer to her by the second. No, this wasn't their kill. They were tying her up so the snake could kill her! She let out one last cry, praying that someone could come to her rescue, and squeezed her eyes shut. Under her breath she said her last prayer.

"_I'm so sorry Nielah. I never gave up. I love you little sis. Stay strong and stay with Neville. He'll take care of you. I love you too Neville. I always have and I always will. I love you, I love you, I love you so so much. Mum, I'm coming right behind you."_

Neville looked over to see his girlfriend, bound by ropes and her eyes squeezed shut, just feet away from the snake that he had been trying to track around the castle. The large beast was slithering right towards her with its mouth open, ready to strike, ready to kill. He could see her muttering something under her breath as he chased after the reptile. Most likely what she thought would be her final words. They wouldn't be on his watch though. There was no way in Hell that he was losing Aubrielle. That just wasn't an option in his mind.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Out of nowhere, Neville came sprinting towards his girlfriend. He took the sword of Gryffindor and raised it high above his head before bringing it down on the snake and slicing it in two. The creature flung its head up in the air and slowly dissipated into smoke. Everyone watched in wonder as the reptile turned to ashes and disappeared from the world. It was almost as if it wasn't a real living thing. There was an eerie silence following the snake's death that was only interrupted by a shrill scream from Voldemort himself. Harry saw this as an opportunity to make his final move and fired at the Dark Lord for one last time. Voldemort was caught off guard by the Chosen One and it was obvious that he was reasonably weaker. Students and professors started cheering for Harry as he out muscled the evil wizard. It was becoming obvious to everyone that this war could end in their favor. Neville quickly dropped the sword of Gryffindor and ran over to his girlfriend, who was still tied up and defenseless. He took his wand out of his jean pocket and quickly petrified the death eaters that were now closing in on her.

"Aubrielle! Babe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you. Just get me out of here!"

There was a deafening cheer that echoed throughout the courtyard. Both seventh years turned to look just as Harry's spell reached the Dark Lord. His wand went flying out of his hand and the Dark Lord staggered before falling to the harsh ground, dead. Everyone erupted into a mass cheer as the realization hit everyone. The Dark Lord was dead! Voldemort was dead! IT WAS OVER! Neville looked down at his girlfriend through watery eyes and ripped the last rope off of her waist. As soon as she was free, she shot her hands to his face and smashed her lips into his. It was over; this god damned war was over and they had both made it out alive. As soon as their lips touched, it was as if the entire weight of the world had been lifted off their young shoulders. There wouldn't be anymore fighting or anymore war. They were finally free to be themselves and just be kids! They pulled apart, both of them now crying tears of joy, and stood to their feet. As soon as they were standing, Neville grabbed Aubrielle, picked her up, and continued to kiss her. She wrapped her long legs around his waist and tangled her fingers in his brown hair as she kissed him hard back.

It was over, all over. She was alive, Neville was alive, and Nielah was alive. Yes, she had lost her mother and yes, she had lost her best friend, but they had made it. The three of them had made it and from this point foreword, their lives were going to be a Hell of a lot easier. It was a beautiful feeling.

**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! It means so much to me when people appreciate my writing. I hope you enjoyed it! Review if you want an epilogue or a third installment! **

**Peace!**

**HepburnHigh.**


	31. After the War Facts

Aubrielle and Neville: Facts after the War

They marry once they are both steady in their respective jobs. They do this at around the age of 26.

Neville works as an Auror for a little bit before becoming the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts.

Aubrielle goes to play Quidditch professionally for the Holyhead Harpies along side Ginny Weasley. She is the most successful Seeker in team history.

She plays for the team for 10 years, from age 19 to 29, but must stop when she becomes pregnant.

On April 18th, the couple welcomes their first child, a daughter. Her full name is Emolly Doua Longbottom.

Two years later, on February 6th, the couple welcomes another child and it's another girl. Her full name is Eva Sansa Longbottom. Together, the two girls' middle names make out the potion that brought their parents together, "Doua Sansa."

After being a mother for some time, and with the help of Auntie Nielah, Aubrielle went to work as the head coach of the Holyhead Harpies. Under her coaching, the team won the Quidditch World Cup for 7 consecutive years.

Nielah gets married to a man named Edgar Smithston at the age of 30. He is three years older than her and attended Drumstrang. Two years later, they have a child, a boy, who's full name is Trevor Princeton Smithston.

Trevor, Eva, and Emolly all grew up together and are very close. They all attended Hogwarts when they turned eleven. Trevor is placed in Gryffindor, Eva is placed in Ravenclaw, and Emolly is placed in Hufflepuff.

Neither of Neville's daughters take a fancy to Herbology and they are quite embarrassed with their dad brings them up in class. As soon as they can, they stop taking it.

Aubrielle and Neville are still married to this day.


End file.
